'I can't use whatever way out': the mental health impact of the cladding crisis

Flat owners are suffering from severe stress, anxiety and depression as the building safety crisis wreaks havoc with their finances, new Which? research reveals.

Our social networking survey in excess of 1,700 affected leaseholders has laid bare the devastating mental health impact of the crisis, with just about all respondents saying it's were built with a fairly negative or very negative impact on their wellbeing.

Leaseholders have shared heartbreaking stories of difficulty sleeping, debilitating depression and stolen futures. Several have told us they had suicidal thoughts.

‘I'm not sure associated with a leaseholder whose mental health isn't affected in some manner for this reason horrendous situation,’ says Georgie Hulme (pictured) the master of a flat in Manchester.

Emma, a leaseholder from Middlesex, has also been impacted. She says: 'There happen to be days where I've just needed to hide away in my office because I'm in tears and I can't get that under control.

'I have definitely had more suicidal ideation, which I have discussed with [my therapist]. She will see the impact of the on my small mental health.'

Here, Which? reveals the mental health change up the ongoing cladding crisis has on leaseholder’s everyday lives.

The cost of the crisis

More than four years following the Grenfell fire disaster, lots of people across the country still reside in flats which are unsafe.

Leaseholders during these flats are facing the twin burden of just living in dangerous homes and make payment on sky-high costs to make them safer. Because while they don't own the actual buildings they live in – they just 'lease' the flats – building owners, referred to as freeholders, can legally pass costs onto them.

We've detailed the five major financial costs of the cladding crisis, from expensive inspections to ballooning insurance. Some leaseholders are facing bills of nearly lb100,000 to repair flats that cost less than that to purchase at the start.

Since unsafe flats are nearly impossible to sell, affected leaseholders can't simply move out to somewhere safe. Instead, they continue to be trapped as the bills stack up.

With this in mind, the huge toll on leaseholders' mental health sadly comes as no surprise.

'There have been times where it's completely overwhelmed me,' says Emma. 'I've felt suprisingly low, I haven't been able to prevent crying, I have found it hard to work. Personally i think really upset, however i also feel really angry.'

‘I can’t use whatever way out’

Emma had already had treatment for depression and anxiety before she became conscious of her building's safety issues.

'I had stopped taking medication. I've now gone back onto medication, simply to kind of stabilise my mood a bit because I'd felt very, very low.'

Medical professionals sometimes treat anxiety by helping patients stop 'catastrophising' – picturing the worst thing that could occur to them. Leaseholders trapped in unsafe flats have almost no choice but to do this.

They're confronted with considering what they'd do if they lost their houses. They're researching how personal bankruptcy actually works. They're fearing they'll not be able to keep their lives, start families or have a comfortable retirement.

'What is actually hard is that there is no way to type of “work through” this because it's external in my experience. There's nothing that I can change that will change this situation.

'For [leaseholders] it's that loss of control which anxiety since you have no idea what is going to happen. And also anger too that individuals are not listening.'

Emma is angry at the government's reaction to the building safety crisis. It recently opposed an amendment that will have legally prevented freeholders from passing costs onto leaseholders. 'You take national things really personally because it is going to have a personal effect.'

The Secretary of state for Housing, Communities and native Government (MHCLG) has stated building owners shouldn't pass costs on to leaseholders, but there's nothing in law to prevent them. More than lb5bn in funding continues to be pledged to remove dangerous cladding, however, many affected buildings do not qualify for support.

'It's not just myself dealing with this nightmare, but those who worry about me'

As well as effects on their mental health, worryingly the majority of our survey respondents said the cladding scandal has already established a negative effect on their physical health, too.

Georgie Hulme, a leaseholder in her own early 40s from Manchester, was hospitalised using what resembled a stroke when she became unresponsive for 12 hours. Her consultant advised that this was due to high stress.

'I can be an anxiety and stress denier, I must admit,' Georgie told us. 'But I can't, going through all of this.'

'Such an extreme reaction to stress has reduced my independence and confidence. I worry if anything else is originating next. Is anyone assessing a persons impact of this on peoples' lives? I do not think so.'

Georgie co-founded the Cladding Disability Action Group (Claddag) to campaign on behalf of leaseholders with disabilities, like herself.

'As a disabled person or a carer, you learn you need to fight for everything, including benefits to services. To me, this can be a completely different fight as well as on top of all of the others.'

'My volunteering with Claddag is essential, as disabled individuals are often excluded from conversations, or we’re overlooked and forgotten. We try to change that. The impact on all our members' mental health is immense and varied.'

Georgie notes the impact the crisis has had on her behalf loved ones: 'It's not just myself dealing with this nightmare, but people who care about me. My friends worry and so does my lady.'

She says her partner wrote a monologue that moved Georgie yet others to tears if this was performed. 'I imagine that the main part that hit home to me, was he mentioned that I've lost my smile, that is among the first things he noticed about me when we first met.'

Georgie says campaigning alongside other leaseholders helps offer her a positive focus.

'Others in cases like this also help spur me on, just like people who worry about me. They understand which i need to fight. The stakes are extremely high to not and the alternative is inconceivable to me.

'It's this type of huge chunk of my entire life, without any guarantees of the positive outcome with no end date. I'll still fight, but this is likely to carry on for many years therefore i can't see a future.

‘It's like my entire life is on hold or paused and after everything, like others have before me, I possibly could end up losing my home. So while there is some hope at times in campaigning, the truth is will be able to only see bankruptcy.'

Money and mental health: where to go for help

If you’re a leaseholder struggling with stress, depression and anxiety, the following organisations may be able to help:

• Mind Free mental health advice and support. 0300 123 3393
• Samaritans 24-hour emotional support charity. 116 123 (also via email at jo@samaritans.org)

Anyone experiencing mental health problems linked to finance can contact the next:

• Citizens Advice A network of local hubs that may counsel you on consumer, legal and money issues. 0800 144 8848
• Mental Health and Money Advice Finance-based project from Rethink Mental Illness. 0300 500 0927