Life hasn’t been easy for many people across the world since the pandemic hit. Even as things slowly return to normal, there are still individuals and families who find themselves trapped in a cycle of financial hardship.
One such family is Amy Winter, Joshua Thain, and their three young children. Their situation has become so dire that they are being forced to leave their home due to unpaid rent. To make matters worse, Amy is currently pregnant with their fourth child.
The family, who reside in Rotherham, are facing the heartbreaking reality of being homeless as they have been ordered to vacate their house on Brunswick Street, Thurnscoe. The eviction is a result of several months of missed rent payments. Despite their pleas for help, Amy and Joshua claim that Barnsley Council has not provided any assistance.
Both Amy, 26, and Joshua, 27, rely on Universal Credit to make ends meet. They live with their three children – Sky, five, Daisy-Mae, four, and Lexi, who is 18 months old. Amy’s nine-year-old son, Macauli, lives with her mother.
“Things have gotten so bad that we can’t even go out because we live in constant fear. We have asked our family for help, but they are unable to provide us with accommodation due to their own living circumstances,” shared Amy in an interview with the Huddersfield Examiner. The only relative willing to help is Joshua’s uncle, who resides in Somerset.
Amy believes that Barnsley Council needs to take responsibility and actively find a solution instead of giving conflicting information. She emphasizes, “It’s about time the council got proactive instead of giving us false hope.”
The property in question is owned by Sanctuary Housing, and the tenancy agreement was in the name of Joshua’s late mother, Victoria Robertshaw. Unfortunately, Victoria passed away at the age of 45 in August after testing positive for Covid-19.
It is a devastating situation for this family, and it begs the question – is it fair to evict them in their time of need? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Let’s come together as a community to support those who are struggling and find ways to lend a helping hand.
