There is currently 1 person viewing this thread.
13 Feb 12
20:30
Joined:
Date Joined:
28 Oct 10
From the dailymail
Cant believe these sort of stories even make the paper, shame on these newspaper for printing stories at families like this expense
Jobless family of TWELVE handed eight-bedroom house after complaining they need more room (and, of course, it's the taxpayer who is footing the bill)
A family of twelve who rejected a string of council houses have finally got their dream home - an eight-bedroom house courtesy of the taxpayer.
Donna Harrison, 35, and Fabian Bland, 43, had been squashed into a terraced house in Bradford with ten children aged between two and 15.
The family turned down several four-bedroom houses offered to them by their social landlord because they had set their heart on a former children’s home.
Both parents are unemployed, so their £133-a-week rent is paid through housing benefit.
New home: Donna Harrison and Fabian Bland with (back row) Daniel, 14, Fabian, three, Megan, 12, Sarah, 14, Chloe 13, and (front row) Fabienne, four, Morgan, seven, Jack, nine, Kieron eight, and Aaron, 12, now have an eight-bedroom house to call home
Mother Donna said: 'Getting this house is the best thing that’s ever happened to us.
'All the kids absolutely love it and I love it. It’s made a really big change to our lives.
'They have their own space, they can do their homework. They have space to do whatever they want to do.
'We got the news just before Christmas so it was a great Christmas present for us. We moved in just after and have been busy sorting everything out since then.
'I’m over the moon, it’s just absolute heaven.'
'Absolute heaven': With eight bedrooms to go around, there's space for four of the children to have their own bedrooms in the house, which also has a garden and dining room
The couple have seven children of their own, and also care for Donna’s sister’s three children following the death of their grandmother, who was their guardian.
Donna and Fabian receive £500 per month in child benefits and child tax and £160 per fortnight for Jobseeker's Allowance, and their rent in housing benefit.
Donna added: 'Fabian lost his job as a delivery driver about six months ago so getting the house after the battle was good news for us in what has been a hard time.
'He’s been busy decorating the new house, painting the walls and that sort of thing.
'It’s made a massive improvement - just things like using the bathroom. In our last house there was just one but now we have two and a separate toilet so everything’s much easier.
'We’ve got a dining room which we didn’t have before, and a huge kitchen. There is so much more space, and it’s not cluttered anymore - in the last house it was always so full and cluttered.
'There is a great big garden for the children to play in too.'
Donna used to share a bedroom with a son, daughter and her partner in their old £80-per-week home, and had received a letter from her daughter Fabienne’s school suggesting sleeping arrangements needed to be changed because the six-year-old kept telling teachers she needed an afternoon nap.
Now, Donna and Fabian have their own bedroom and so do four of the children.
This is the first time in 20 years that Fabian has claimed benefits.
Donna said: 'I know what some people will say about us living off the state with so many children, and it makes me angry.
'He’s worked hard all his life and he couldn’t help losing his job - he worked for a small family-run business and when the boss decided to retire there was nothing he could do but let Fabian go.
'Fabian’s looking for work every day. He is desperate for a new job but it’s difficult for anyone to get a job nowadays.
'Yes we have a lot of children but that was unexpected - I didn’t expect to be looking after my sister’s children but that’s the way things have turned out.
'I didn’t expect my mum, who was caring for them, to die so early from cancer.
'And I’m saving the state money in looking after my sister’s children - it would be costing the Government thousands if they were in care.'
Donna has previously spoken of how the children, Sarah, 16, Daniel, 15, Chloe, 14, Megan, 13, Aaron, 13, Jack, 10, Keiran, nine, Morgan, eight, Fabienne, six, and Fabian Jr, three, struggled to fit in their old house.
The family were disappointed to be told last September that they wouldn’t be able to move into their dream home, and contacted Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe and Councillor Michael Johnson for help.
Mr Sutcliffe said: 'We are pleased that finally common sense prevailed and through cooperation and understanding of the family’s needs they were finally able to be housed appropriately.
'It’s sad it took the length of time it did.'
Cathy Ashley, chief executive of the Family Rights Group charity, who described the family’s former living conditions as 'hellish', said of the news: 'We are very pleased that this seems a happy ending.
'Many family, friends and carers across the country continue to struggle to get suitable accommodation.
'Sadly we know of children in the care system who could have been living with their wider family if help with housing had been provided.'
Cant believe these sort of stories even make the paper, shame on these newspaper for printing stories at families like this expense
Jobless family of TWELVE handed eight-bedroom house after complaining they need more room (and, of course, it's the taxpayer who is footing the bill)
A family of twelve who rejected a string of council houses have finally got their dream home - an eight-bedroom house courtesy of the taxpayer.
Donna Harrison, 35, and Fabian Bland, 43, had been squashed into a terraced house in Bradford with ten children aged between two and 15.
The family turned down several four-bedroom houses offered to them by their social landlord because they had set their heart on a former children’s home.
Both parents are unemployed, so their £133-a-week rent is paid through housing benefit.
New home: Donna Harrison and Fabian Bland with (back row) Daniel, 14, Fabian, three, Megan, 12, Sarah, 14, Chloe 13, and (front row) Fabienne, four, Morgan, seven, Jack, nine, Kieron eight, and Aaron, 12, now have an eight-bedroom house to call home
Mother Donna said: 'Getting this house is the best thing that’s ever happened to us.
'All the kids absolutely love it and I love it. It’s made a really big change to our lives.
'They have their own space, they can do their homework. They have space to do whatever they want to do.
'We got the news just before Christmas so it was a great Christmas present for us. We moved in just after and have been busy sorting everything out since then.
'I’m over the moon, it’s just absolute heaven.'
'Absolute heaven': With eight bedrooms to go around, there's space for four of the children to have their own bedrooms in the house, which also has a garden and dining room
The couple have seven children of their own, and also care for Donna’s sister’s three children following the death of their grandmother, who was their guardian.
Donna and Fabian receive £500 per month in child benefits and child tax and £160 per fortnight for Jobseeker's Allowance, and their rent in housing benefit.
Donna added: 'Fabian lost his job as a delivery driver about six months ago so getting the house after the battle was good news for us in what has been a hard time.
'He’s been busy decorating the new house, painting the walls and that sort of thing.
'It’s made a massive improvement - just things like using the bathroom. In our last house there was just one but now we have two and a separate toilet so everything’s much easier.
'We’ve got a dining room which we didn’t have before, and a huge kitchen. There is so much more space, and it’s not cluttered anymore - in the last house it was always so full and cluttered.
'There is a great big garden for the children to play in too.'
Donna used to share a bedroom with a son, daughter and her partner in their old £80-per-week home, and had received a letter from her daughter Fabienne’s school suggesting sleeping arrangements needed to be changed because the six-year-old kept telling teachers she needed an afternoon nap.
Now, Donna and Fabian have their own bedroom and so do four of the children.
This is the first time in 20 years that Fabian has claimed benefits.
Donna said: 'I know what some people will say about us living off the state with so many children, and it makes me angry.
'He’s worked hard all his life and he couldn’t help losing his job - he worked for a small family-run business and when the boss decided to retire there was nothing he could do but let Fabian go.
'Fabian’s looking for work every day. He is desperate for a new job but it’s difficult for anyone to get a job nowadays.
'Yes we have a lot of children but that was unexpected - I didn’t expect to be looking after my sister’s children but that’s the way things have turned out.
'I didn’t expect my mum, who was caring for them, to die so early from cancer.
'And I’m saving the state money in looking after my sister’s children - it would be costing the Government thousands if they were in care.'
Donna has previously spoken of how the children, Sarah, 16, Daniel, 15, Chloe, 14, Megan, 13, Aaron, 13, Jack, 10, Keiran, nine, Morgan, eight, Fabienne, six, and Fabian Jr, three, struggled to fit in their old house.
The family were disappointed to be told last September that they wouldn’t be able to move into their dream home, and contacted Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe and Councillor Michael Johnson for help.
Mr Sutcliffe said: 'We are pleased that finally common sense prevailed and through cooperation and understanding of the family’s needs they were finally able to be housed appropriately.
'It’s sad it took the length of time it did.'
Cathy Ashley, chief executive of the Family Rights Group charity, who described the family’s former living conditions as 'hellish', said of the news: 'We are very pleased that this seems a happy ending.
'Many family, friends and carers across the country continue to struggle to get suitable accommodation.
'Sadly we know of children in the care system who could have been living with their wider family if help with housing had been provided.'
sort by:
Show
per page
Replies: 129
|
By:
Cant believe these sort of stories even make the paper, shame on these newspaper for printing stories at families like this expense
why is that ? do you think the taxpayers of this country should not know how their hard earned is being spent on subsidising spongers ? nowt wrong wi bradford btw. plenty worse places to live |
|
By:
You ought to be watching Panorama now on BBC. Americans living in poverty in tents and storm drains. Many are just ordinary working people.
|
|
By:
Quite simple then.Send all those claimants with large families that cannot find work in London to Bradford and other such places and save the taxpayer a fortune...
|
|
By:
Fabian,
 |
|
By:
wolfatthedoor
13 Feb 12 20:45 why is that ? do you think the taxpayers of this country should not know how their hard earned is being spent on subsidising spongers ? nowt wrong wi bradford btw. wolf cant believe you just said that Just because people have found themselves unemployed does that mean that they are not entitled to a nice house. Myself & my wife have found ourselves in this position like many others, does it mean just because there is not enough work to go round we & our 6 children cannot have a nice house & possessions. Bllx that imo plenty worse places to live |
|
By:
 |
|
By:
Its good that thier kids have the chance to live normally rather than become stressed under cramped conditions
They sound very appreciative and im glad its a happy ending for them |
|
By:
Personally, I'd want independent verification that the date printed on the Daily Mail was correct....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA9t61PuiDc |
|
By:
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...|... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .._,,-~~~-,-,,_
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...|... ... ... ,,---,,_... ...,-~",-":__-,: : :"-,:::"'~,, .,,-~~--,, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...|... ... ,~": : --,,:"~,,-"::::/:,-". . ."'~-,,: \,::::_,,"~-,, /: : : : : : :"'~-,,... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... |... ... /: : : : :~"'\,: \::__/:|o--,,. . . . .\,: : : : : : :"-, \: : : : : : : : : : :""~,,... ... ... ... ... ... ... |... ... .\: : : : : :,,-"~": : : "'~~-,:"'~-,,_|: : :,-""-,:| .'~,: : : : : : : : : : : : :"'~-,,_... ... ... ... ...|... ... .."-,_: ,-" : : : : : : : : : : : "~,--~": : (o~--,,_. . |:| ... ."'~-,,: : : : : : : : : : : : :"-,~--,... ... ... |... ... ... ...,/: : : : : : ,,--,-,~-,,: : :"~-,,: : :"~,___:"-/,/__ ... ... ...,"~"~--,,_,,-~"`"`": : "-,::"'~~--,,_..| ... ... ... ..|: : : ,: :,-". ,-"./. . . ."-,,_: : :"~-~": : : :"'-,,~,:"-,, ... ... .,/: : : : --,,:|: : : : : : : : :"-,,::::::::::::"~--,,_... ... \: : :|: /. .,/. . |. . . ,-".|. "~,,_____,,,,,__:\: : : : | ... ... .|: : : : : : : "|: : : : : : :,: : : :\:::::::::::::::::::::"'~~-,,"-,:|: |. /. . . .|. .,-". . |. ,-"'. \. . .,/|. . . .",:\: : ,/ ... ... ..\, : : : : : ,/ : : : : : : :|: : : ,/::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"\: "-,,___,\,/___,,\/___. |,-". |. . . ,/.|: |,~" ... ... ... ",-,,,__/: : : : : : :,/,_~"-:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"-,,____,, : : : : : : : : : "'~,,,/.,,~". ,/: / ... ... ... /: : : : :"-,,___,,-": : ,"-,-:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::'\: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : "-"__,-":,-" ... ... ... '\,_: : : : : : /-,,___,,"~-----~~~~,~---,,__::::::::::::::::::::::|: : : : : : : : __,,--~"~,,___,,-" ... ... ... ... ."'~---~"... ... ... ... ... ... ...|---~"::::"'~-::::::::::::::::,/: : : : : : : : : :\"~,, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .|::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,": : : : : : : : : : : |:::::"-,, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .|:::::::::::::::::::::::,,-": : : : : : : : : : : : :,|:::::::::"-, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .|::::::::::_,,,--~~": : : : : : : : : : : : : : :,/::::::::::::::\, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .|----~~" : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :,/::::::::::::::::::\, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .|: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :,-,"::::::::::::::::::::::\ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... |: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : _,,~"SL'\,::::::::::::::::::::::\ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... |: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :,,-"... ... ... .\:::::::::::::::::::::::\ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... |: : : : : : : : : : : :_,,--~"... ... ... ... ...\:::::::::::::::::::::::\ NOW GERROUT THE LOT OF YUH |
|
By:
Gee your rents are cheap, we would pay about $900 a week for that, you can't rent a 2 bedroom unit for less than $200
|
|
By:
Cant believe these sort of stories even make the paper, shame on these newspaper for printing stories at families like this expense
why is that ? do you think the taxpayers of this country should not know how their hard earned is being spent on subsidising spongers ? Spongers like theall the banks and the **** heads that loan money they cant afford to pay back then ask the taxpayer to pay there debts for them. |
|
By:
But what horse racing tips have the family given?
|
|
By:
£133 a week rent for an 8 bedroom house ?
Well done to the council,it would be (at least)13k a week on my road.. |
|
By:
What about the latest round of"quantative easing" £56 billion on top of last years £78 billion on top of the previous £1trillion for the financial sector excuse me but where has it gone?? I may be well out of my depth here but wouldn,t it be better for benefits to increase the money would at least get spent in this country helping to sustain/.create jobs
|
|
By:
Perhaps they were practising Catholics?
'practising' being the operative word. |
|
By:
^ that's far too sensible an idea for a thread/forum of this nature, the Daily Mail and tory voters everywhere. As is the fact that two companies have recently been excused paying £20billion in taxes
|
|
By:
metro john
14 Feb 12 07:49 Cant believe these sort of stories even make the paper, shame on these newspaper for printing stories at families like this expense why is that ? do you think the taxpayers of this country should not know how their hard earned is being spent on subsidising spongers ? Spongers like theall the banks and the **** heads that loan money they cant afford to pay back then ask the taxpayer to pay there debts for them.[/b] metro people are unemployed for a reason & they need help during this period in their lives, are you so blind you cannot see that. I have been trying to find work for the last 25 years without success. If you walk in to a supermarket you get food, if you walk in to a pub you get drink. Job centre, dont make me laugh, they should be sued under the trade descriptions act. There's no jobs & they never find me a job. Alls I need is for them to tell me when & where I start I will turn up, no problem if I have to I will Agree with yr thoughts the real problem are those that have landed the country & themselves with all this debt. I & my family never spend beyond our means, we dont borrow any money & dont have a penny of debt. People try to live beyond their means that's where the real problem is. It's about working to a budget, however big or small that is. You're right it is the borrowers that are the scourge of society, how do we stop it, who knows, with all the problems they've landed us in, I dont know how they can look themselves in the mirror each morning tbh |
|
By:
The last Goverment paid people to bread "FACT"
I can only assume that they thought that thed vote for em. The kids grow up as "no hopers" & a baby for a young girl is a Career Move. |
|
By:
In Sweden, this would guaranteed have been a family from Somalia, Irak or Afghanistan. Our government are traitors who lets anyone in and hands them apartments and money.
At least this is a british family that gets help....... |
|
By:
Propper responsable people only have 1 or 2 kids because they want to provide for them & give em the best chance in life.
At the end of the day..........its a pi$$ take. haveing said that........never blame the kids |
|
By:
good only daily mail fighting the good fight as usual.
i bet they were bitterly disappointed they weren't an immigrant family. |
|
By:
Scouser - you have been looking for a job for 25 years !! And you have six kids to boot.You Scousers really are deluded.You have a computer and presumably a mobile phone each all paid for by someone else.Then you boast that you have no debt as if you ever really had any money of your own.It is easy to have no debt if you have your hand in other peoples pockets !! Wait until your kids leave home and your benefits are reduced then see how happy you are you feckless individual...
|
|
By:
When they buy a family ticket they will get value for money.
|
|
By:
homefortea, the internet is a place where like you love to peddle their extremist views at the expense of others. Those thoughts have no place in a modern capitalist decent caring society. FYI one of the kids already has left home, our eldest whose 17. She has recently got her own place with her partner & their 2 kids that they rent from the council. For what it's worth & not that it's any on your business I am extremely proud of her as there any not many people her age that have got themselves on to the housing ladder
|
|
By:
TheHonest: Off topic maybe, but does your 17 year old daughter already have two kids?
|
|
By:
Read above, 'their 2 kids' thought that explained it well enough, you dont get their from the supermarket you know
|
|
By:
mange 14 Feb 12 10:46
The last Goverment paid people to bread "FACT" I can only assume that they thought that thed vote for em. The kids grow up as "no hopers" & a baby for a young girl is a Career Move. Well they wasted the money spent on education with you, that's for sure |
|
By:
hook, line and sinker imo |
|
By:
You had me there for a moment Scouser !!
|
|
By:
We need a bigger boat captain....
|
|
By:
What are you on hft, you get in to a debate then back off when proven wrong
If by highlighting that extremist views are wrong then at least I have achieved something People like you are the reason there is so much hate in society. People can only be accepted if they are earning £50k plus, have a mortgage & live their comfy middle class lives Not everyone is fortuntate to live like that & it makes those sort of views sickening to the rest of us. I'd imagine you have shed loads of debt as well but best not mention that given the trouble it's causing the country as it will offend us all |
|
By:
Facts..............just to let you know.....council estate dad dead @11yrs mum dead@17 yrs ....did a deal with the council that my sister got a roof over her head my at the age of 17 homeless with T.B.brought my only son up by myself...WORKING FULL TIME...he played 1st team rugby Brighton & is now a Teacher Liverpool......i was a childrens football coach have a nice 3bed drum No Mortgage...............& YOU
Or is it time to craul undre a slab fink thats funnier! |
|
By:
mange,no wonder the education system is in the state that it is if you helped your Teacher son with his homework !!
|
|
By:
Punch On!
|
|
By:
Scouser..Are you for real ? I truely thought that you were taking the rise !! OK then you lazy,feckless sponger who seems to be bringing up a family in a mirror image, is that extremist enough for you ? Having never claimed benefits in my life (and mortgage and debt free) I feel that I can comment on those that prey on society.Twenty-five years without a job and proud of it !! Round here I know nobody on the dole because people have a sense of pride.I can see who the character Jim Royle was based on !!
|
|
By:
" Propper responsable people only have 1 or 2 kids because they want to provide for them & give em the best chance in life.
At the end of the day..........its a pi$$ take. haveing said that........never blame the kids " To the teacher from Brighton who wrote the above: Are you telling us that the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinburgh are not " Prop(p)er responsible people"?  |
|
By:
having one kid is not reasonable.
everyone knows only children are a nightmare (37% go on to be serial killers, FACT!) |
|
By:
mange
You were lucky. We lived for three months in a paper bag in a septic tank. We used to have to get up at six in the morning, clean the paper bag, eat a crust of stale bread, go to work down t' mill, fourteen hours a day, week-in week-out, for sixpence a week, and when we got home our Dad would thrash us to sleep wi' his belt. |
|
By:
No the kids were PROVIDED FOR sean
If you want The breeding free for all.....I dont mind...im comeing out the other end.....Ill let you get on with it ...G.L. M8 |