Berneslai Homes - Barnsley

Kelly L.

Despite having a clear local connection to Barnsley (caring for a friend and receiving Carer’s Allowance) my housing application was denied twice by Berneslai Homes...

Once initially, and again after I appealed.

The first rejection came with minimal explanation, and the staff member I spoke to had a real attitude, which made the situation feel even more dismissive and unprofessional. I then submitted an appeal with all the required documentation, including evidence of my Carer’s Allowance, to show I met their local connection criteria. Despite this, they rejected me a second time.

It’s difficult not to question whether this process was handled fairly. When someone actively caring for a vulnerable person is denied housing support (Despite ticking the boxes for eligibility) it starts to feel not just unfair, but discriminatory.

This whole experience has left me feeling like I don’t matter...as though the vital role I play as a carer isn’t valued or even acknowledged. It’s hard not to feel dehumanised by the way I’ve been treated. It’s not just frustrating, it’s emotionally damaging and being met with this level of disregard adds a huge amount of stress and pain.

To anyone considering applying for housing with Berneslai Homes...I genuinely wouldn’t recommend it. The process was cold, disheartening, and made me feel less than human. People deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, especially when reaching out for help.

Sadly, I don't feel I received either.

matt S.

The poor service is appalling and inhumane. My 89 year-old mum, who is partially sighted and has mobility issues, is trying to move out of a Berneslai Homes-managed council property near Barnsley into a new home nearer to me - her son in Hull. Her prospective new landlord - a charity for people with sight impairment - needs a reference. Berneslai Homes seem incapable of actually providing one in spite of having been asked many times and promising that they would do it. The long telephone queue and irritating, repetitive ai generated jazz don't help. If we can't get a reference, my mum can't move - it's making her anxious. What is probably a lack of investment in customer service and administration, manifests as a lack of care and humanity which is actually causing emotional problems.
Postscript: after sending this review and also sending an email suggesting I'd take the issue further the problem was resolved and the organisation apologised.

Dusty O.

Thernscoe housing officer Caroline, constantly harassing over baby and toddlers toys excuse of fire hazard parked my car Infront of my partners flat been told it's a fire hazard not been funny but half the area a fire hazard old wooden cladding rotting,,, safety I'm area council installed letter box cages left screws poking through other side kids or anyone can cut them selves on them improper fire safety procourtions in adicuate emergency lighting in communal areas in proper fire safety advice given no assembly points no fire extinguishers no fire sprinkler system list goes on

Andrew T.

An absolute joke, no customer service whatsover. You ring up and hear an hour of music and then the call ends. I did a survey after and gave them 1 star. Just like this review.

Rich

If you want to rent a damp & moldy flat, these are the guys to go to. Reported damp & mould problems & they just keep bodging it to keep the damp at bay, so far they've removed half of the wallpaper in the bedroom as it had black mould on it & they just slapped some antifungal paint on the wall.

Denise H.

Spoke to Andrew today about repairs and adaptations .He was more than brilliant and sorted all the issues out for my mum .Thankyou so much Andrew .

Zeiton7

Not fit for purpose. Untrained staff giving out incorrect advice causing massive delays. I have been waiting to get rehoused since April 2023, it took them 4 months just to process my application and get me on the register, for a further 6 weeks after that I was given false advice about what I needed to do to get
rehoused on medical grounds and then they took 3 and a half months after that to do a medical assessment, this made my total wait time 9 months before I was even aloud to apply for a bungalow in January 2024. Also numerous complaints unanswered, it wasn’t until I wrote to my local MPs office that I got a reply and was offered a measly £100 compensation for my trouble. And now I’m told I still have at least another 5 months to wait for a suitable property in my area. This organisation is a joke.

Nathan S.

Outstanding service all around helping my younger family member with disabilities. Although she did encounter some serious errors, the issues were resolved and to a very high standard. The workmanship I can see is excellent. She had a broken boiler at new year and the engineer was out within 30 mins. Amazing in our families opinion. We are glad to see them settled and safe in their new home.