A BRADFORD family are “completely fed up” due to the conditions in their home, which they claim housing association Incommunities are failing to address.

Husband and wife Zafar Iqbal and Rukshana Begum, who live on Dick Lane, have said that the damp and mould in their house has been a problem for “around three years”, and that things are only “getting worse”.

Zafar, who has a physically disability having been involved in an accident in the past, has claimed that the situation is only exacerbating Rukshana’s mental health issues.

He adds that their two children, one of which is a 20-year-old son with learning disabilities, have been struggling to breathe due to the mould in the house.

However, Incommunities has argued that there are no “significant problems” with damp and mould in the property, and that it is condensation which is causing the issues.

The association added that the family said they were “happy” with the work it had done to fix the problem, and that further complaints had only been raised by a third party.

Zafar, who moved to the UK from Pakistan in 2012, said - with the help of a translator - that “We are depressed. We have tried to make appointments with Incommunities, but they didn’t come and see us until two months after the agreed date.

“The kitchen storage area has been ruined by mould - we’ve had to throw food out.

“My wife is on medication for depression and anxiety, and it is causing a massive mental strain for her. We haven’t been shown much empathy.”

Rukshana added: “We are very stressed. I have to do the majority of work, due to Zafar’s mobility issues, and it’s very tiring.

“We are sick and tired of this. We have been told it will get sorted, but it seems to be dragging on.

“The stress has left me mentally exhausted.”

In response to their claims, an Incommunities spokesperson said: “Following a complaint of damp at the property from a third party, a visit was made by an asset surveyor and a colleague who speaks Urdu/Punjabi to meet with Zafar and Rukhsana and assess what was required.

“We agreed on the work needed to address the issue, as well as new fencing and some internal decoration. Earlier this year, a visit was made to the property to inspect the work and make sure the walls were dry and ready for decorating.

“Both we and Environmental Health recommended that the customers switch their heating on to help dry out plaster work.

“An external contractor surveyed the property this month and their independent report confirmed findings from Environmental Health that there are no significant problems with damp and mould, and it is condensation causing a wet wall in the hallway.

“This is superficial moisture and when tested deeper, the wall is dry. We will be completing further plastering at the property next year. Again, the customers were recommended to switch on the heating to help dry out the plaster.

“In conversations with the customers, they have confirmed they were happy with the resolution to the complaint and work arranged. However, at the request of a third party, the complaint is now at a further review stage with the Housing Ombudsman.

“We take our customers’ needs seriously and understand that sometimes people need additional support. As is our practice with any customers, visits to Zafar and Rukhsana have been accompanied by a bilingual housing officer/translator. As always, when we are made aware of any additional health or support needs, we work with customers on how best we can support them.”