Nitty gritty of downsizing

AS a long-term resident of Westminster, in Church Street ward, it took me nearly five years to downsize from three- to two-bedroom accommodation and move to Kensington and Chelsea.
I thought that downsizing would really be taken seriously and expeditiously, but the transfer officer in charge decided to personalise the case.
The transfer manager left and the new housing officer, who was much more helpful, had us on choice-based lettings very quickly to a two-bedroom property in W11.
Although the government seems to put such faith in housing associations, I totally disagree as they seem to act in a cavalier fashion.
And if you complain about why it is taking so long to transfer or downsize, they just shut you down and do nothing.
They do not suggest other schemes, such as that mentioned above, by which I eventually moved.
I did not receive anything like the full amount of reward because of a technicality of owing overpayment of housing benefit.
Kensington and Chelsea adopt a different method in their reward scheme and they will take any money owing in overpayment back and award you the balance.
This is a far more pragmatic scheme than Westminster operate.
I had a small annuity which I declared, but it was not picked up.
I was penalised twice in that I had to pay this back and also take out a crisis loan to move.
This deters fluidity in the housing market.
The nitty gritty of how different councils approach the crisis in social housing matters.
You can be pragmatic or dogmatic and I think we all know which works better.
James Quinn
Address supplied, W11