Earlier in the week I read this story.
Mother of eleven has six bed council house built
Now I am not going to judge this lady. I know nothing about her and at the end of the day, whether anybody likes it or not, she is entitled to a house. She obviously meets certain criteria set by the Council who have agreed to house her.
I am not getting into a debate on what anybody feels about that. Well not right now.
What I want to know is this. If that Council has a duty to house that family and secure a new house on a new development for her, why does Tamsyn Wood’s Council not feel they have to do the same?
You remember I wrote about Tamsyn recently and the struggles she is facing since her husband, Alex’s brain injury 18 months ago? Well her Council are claiming they can do nothing to help. They have no funding. Tamsyn is living in a house that is not suitable for Alex to live in permanently and added to that everywhere they turn they are meeting brick walls.
Funding is being cut.
People in authority are shrugging their shoulders and saying “not my problem”.
Well who’s problem is it? Alex and Tamsyn have been married for ten years, have worked hard, paid their taxes, raised four children and what do they get?
Sod all quite frankly.
Alex is in a care home staffed by amazing people who are doing their best. But it is not at home. And in fact is 9o minutes away from Tamsyn. A trip she does every day as Alex looks forward to her visits and become animated when she is there. The family had been promised weekend visits for Alex to go home which were then cut to once every six weeks. Disappointing both Tamsyn and Alex but also the children who were excited about having daddy home.
Where is the justice in this?
Where is the caring society that wants to help a family stay together and care for its own?
Adapatations to a house so the family can be together. A purpose built house with a ramp and a downstairs bathroom?
Not just a shrug of the shoulders and “not my job, guv” mentality.
That is the cruelest bit of this whole story. The refusal to help the Woods family achieve the only thing they want. To be together.
And quite frankly that stinks.
Picture credit of the gorgeous Alex goes to Tamysn
Please see other Ranty Fridays this week:
I have been following both of these stories. Once again it seems that behaving irresponsibly is rewarded whilst those who have experienced genuine misfortune after doing their damndest to play by the rules are punished or left to fend for themselves… a worthy rant, Mrs B – I do sincerely wish Tamsyn and Alex get the outcome they need and truly deserve x
Way to use your blog as a platform for local government! I hope it helps the cause! And my thoughts and prayers are with Tamsyn and her family.
I just wish her council would get their acts together. Have huge admiration for the way she continues to fight for her family. Amazing lady. Great post.
Councils have a lot to answer for, this must be so frustrating for Tamsyn and Alex, their children also.
It is so unjust. It would be so easy for someone to apply a bit of commonsense and sort this out. It seems some people get it all handed to them on a plate, others get nothing.
It’s such a horrid position for Tamsyn and her family to be in, hopefully in the new financial year the council can find the money to help Alex home, the expense of keeping him hospitalised is immense compared to adapting a home.
I have followed Alex’s story and how hard Tamsyn has worked for him and how much she needs for him to be able to come home, and while, like you say, this other family may be “entitled” to housing, I do have to question the priorities of local councils and their spending and who gets what in the current system! It doesn’t work properly!
Councils will hand out homes to parents who pump out kids just to get benefits and housing without paying a penny in tax. I feel sorry, angry and disappointed that I live in a country that treats good honest working people like this when they so desperately need help to be a family. I hope there local council pull their thumb out of their arse and do something.
Bravo! I saw the mum of 11 on Daybreak and thought exactly the same – why not Tamsyn? SO unfair. And I’m so glad you wrote this brilliant post – going to share like a loon x