Disabled man forced to wee in a bottle as flat too small to use toilet

By Jacob Phillips, Local Democracy Reporter

A disabled dad in a wheechair had to urinate in a bottle as his London flat was so small he struggled to use the toilet.

The unnamed west London man, referred to as Mr X, could not access the kitchen or use the bathroom properly at his council home, provided by Kensington and Chelsea council, in another borough for more than a year, an Ombudsman report has revealed.

The wheelchair user told the housing watchdog he could not access some of the rooms in his flat as the doorways and corridors were too narrow.

The father-of-three first came under Kensington and Chelsea council’s care when he became homeless. The family-of-five was housed in a two-bedroom flat outside the borough.

In February 2021 the dad was given a self-propelling wheelchair, which he uses both in the flat and outside.

But the dad complained that he has lost his independence and his wife, who cares for him, has had to carry him to bed.

Although he can access his home using a lift, once inside it is very difficult for him to move about.

Since the flat is leased temporary accommodation it cannot be adapted to meet his needs.

Despite having a slipped disc and back pain, Mr X’s wife has been lifting him and she has to force his wheelchair along the narrow corridors.

Since the bathroom is extremely small his wife also struggles to transfer him on to the toilet. Instead, the dad urinates in a bottle so he does not have to be moved onto the toilet as often. He also cannot use the bath and instead has to strip wash.

The issue was raised with Kensington and Chelsea council following a visit from an occupational therapist in May 2021.

The council agreed it needed to find alternative temporary accommodation while it searched for a permanent home for the family.

But the council struggled to find an appropriate home for them. Although large step-free homes are extremely scarce RBKC offered the family a new temporary, ground-floor flat in mid-March 2022.

In the meantime, Mr X’s wife made a housing application to another London borough. The family was recently offered a flat on a high floor of a block and have since moved in.

Following the Ombudsman’s investigation RBKC apologised to Mr X for placing the family in an unsuitable home between May 2021 and November 2022.

They have also agreed to pay Mr X £300 for every month they were stuck in the tiny flat totalling £5,700.

A Kensington and Chelsea council spokesman said: “We apologise for failing to meet the high standards we set ourselves in this case and have fully accepted and complied with the Ombudsman’s agreed actions.

“There is a chronic shortage of housing across London, particularly for larger accessible properties which impacts our ability to find suitable housing.

“We will continue to work with residents to address their specific circumstances and ensure they have safe, healthy places to live.”

Pictured top: Kensington town hall (Picture: Hannah Neary)