A seriously disabled woman claims she has been left "choking on asbestos" in her "disgusting" flat as the council is doing "nothing to help".
The woman, who is only being referred to as Sarah, moved to her North London flat in 2016 and says she spent nearly £20,000 turning it into her dream flat.
Sarah, 57, said she installed a new kitchen and was "happy".
However, in 2020, he had to have her boiler replaced while she was in hospital having brain surgery.
She told MyLondon: "When I came out of the hospital, all my flooring was swelling, splitting and damaged, and had flooded a large area of my lovely home.
“My beautiful kitchen, which cost me £6,000 from inheritance from my Nan, was all being pushed out of place. It just got worse and worse.”
Sarah claims this boiler issue was just the tip of the iceberg.
She said: "The stench was terrible. I talked to the council about it, and they wouldn’t do anything. Nothing happened.
"Three visits later, still nothing happened. They tore everything out - when they tore it out, they found there was still an ongoing leak.”
Sarah claims contractors found evidence of asbestos in tiles in her home.
She said: "The council wouldn't do anything about it. They wouldn’t send anyone out here because of the asbestos.”
In the end, Sarah claims her live-in carer disposed of the asbestos-riddled tiles himself.
She says in July 2021 she was finally able to get a new floor installed but then her neighbour had a massive leak under their boiler.
Sarah says water started to slowly climb up her wall towards an electric socket.
She claims she reported the issues to the council in April this year and that damp readings found evidence of significant damp in her bedroom and the hallway.
Sarah said: “Months later, they finally fixed the leak in my neighbour's flat.
“I had my flooring taken up to help things dry out, and I was told it looked like more asbestos.”
Sarah has had an asbestos sample taken from her flat and while she waits for results she says contractors are convinced asbestos is present in her flat once again.
She said: "This is a major issue, but nobody is helping me. Islington Council doesn’t care - they’re treating me like dirt and I’m so seriously ill.”
Sarah lives with several physical and mental health issues, which means she rarely leaves her flat.
She suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (a hypermobility issue), bowel and bladder issues, and a significantly damaged spinal cord.
She is on “a lot” of medication, including antidepressants and has survived cancer in the past.
Sarah said: “I know I am on the road to death...If I do get cancer again, I’d just let it take its course and die. Because I can't carry on doing these fights with the council - the council are supposed to care.”
Sarah believes Islington Council has not done enough to provide long-term solutions to the leaks, which she claims have led to significant damp, asbestos and potential structural issues.
Sarah said: "I love this flat - I want them to fix the issues in my current home.
“The council should be dealing with this, they should be caring. Disabled people need a home where they can feel safe and secure...It’s disgusting - I'm worrying that the foundations of this building are crumbling.
"Just because I’m a council tenant, doesn’t mean I’ve got to be treated like a scumbag. I’m living in filth and horribleness.”
A spokesperson from Islington Council told The Mirror: “We want everyone to have a place to call home which is secure, decent and genuinely affordable, and are very sorry for the distress caused to [Sarah], and for any delays to medical appointments caused by outstanding repairs issues.
“Our records show the leak has stopped, and our tenancy team are supporting [Sarah] to identify temporary accommodation that is suitable for her and her pets.
"Once access to her home is possible, our repairs team will undertake a further investigation for residual pooling or leaks under the floorboards.
“We are treating this as a priority and will carry out any necessary works that are identified as soon as possible.
"We continue to liaise with [Sarah] about any asbestos that may be detected in the property."
