A woman virtually housebound by arthritis says Fife Council refused to move her from her top floor flat due to rent arrears.
Despite diligently repaying her debt every week, Mary Telfer, 45, has only recently been put on the transfer waiting list.
The mother-of-two claims her condition deteriorated quicker than expected due to the two flights of stairs to her maisonette flat in Kirkcaldy’s Dallas Drive.
It is now so painful and frightening for her to use the stairs that she rarely goes out, and only when accompanied by husband Ian.
Hitting out at the council, she said: “It’s sickening. They know how bad I am yet they are still refusing us a transfer.
“It feels like they don’t care about the situation I am in because of my health, and being in the maisonette has made it worse.
“I’ve warned them if I fall on the stairs I will sue.”
Mary was diagnosed with arthritis in her spine, pelvis and hips six years ago and knew then that she would soon need a home on the ground or a low floor, so applied to be shifted.
She said: “I have been told this condition will put me in a wheelchair.
“I’ve been diagnosed with depression because of my mobility problems and the fact I am housebound.”
Mary and self-employed taxi driver Ian ran up around £900 of rent arrears which Mary said was down to an error by the Department for Work and Pensions when Ian was unemployed for a while.
She said: “We paid full rent, council tax and extra for our rent arrears every week and never missed a payment.
“All that has been paid back and we are still stuck.”
To make matters worse, the couple have also been hit with the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ since the youngest of their daughters, Jayne, 20, moved out last year.
While her condition has deteriorated significantly, Mary said she still has the same number of medical points as she had six years ago.
She said: “I recently submitted a new medical form stating the arthritis has spread from my spine, pelvis and hips.
“From the waist down, I’m kaput. I can barely walk 20 metres without having to stop, I’m in that much pain.”
Being moved to a downstairs flat or house would, she said, vastly improve her quality of life.
She said: “It would be great, if it meant being able to get out into a garden or just out of the house.”
Gordon Hope, the council’s housing team manager for Kirkcaldy, said: “We have been in touch with Mrs Telfer on several occasions over the last two weeks and she is now on an active waiting list for re-housing.
“An updated illness and disability assessment was completed and she has been informed the number of medical points awarded remains the same.
“An occupational therapist will be in touch soon to discuss the medical assessment and any other support that may be available.
“We’re rarely able to provide a suitable property from our housing stock immediately.”