Man ‘worried sick’ over losing home for family
THREE brothers could be left homeless after losing their mother and grandmother within weeks of each other.
James Siddell, 40, is a carer for his younger brothers John, 37, and Malcolm, 36, who both have special needs. He said they are being told to leave the flat where they are living in Ashington, by August 1.
The trio, who all have health difficulties, lost their mum Lorraine Siddell, 60, to non-hodgkin lymphoma on May 16 and their grandmother Ethel Slesser, 81, to an aortic aneurysm and a heart attack on June 7.
James said he moved with his family to Hinckley in Leicestershire in February 2020 so they could be closer to his auntie. He said he needed help as he was suffering from exhaustion due to caring for his mum, his grandmother and his two brothers.
District council rules meant they were unable to get social housing in the area as their relative had not lived there for more than five years, so they privately rented two properties – one for Lorraine and her sons and another for Ethel.
Last year, they decided to move back to the North East and applied for properties through Northumberland County Council. James said that on the day his mum died, his grandmother got the keys to a one-bedroom flat in Ashington.
Following their mother’s death, the brothers planned to move up to Northumberland with their grandmother and live in a caravan until they could get a property of their own. Sadly, before Ethel could move into the flat, she also passed away.
James said he did not want to lose the £4,500 their grandmother had paid to move all of their belongings and so they packed up two properties in 12 days and moved into the flat on June 22 this year. He said they were no longer able to afford to live in a caravan due to paying for funerals for their mum and their grandmother.
As the tenancy is in Ethel’s name, they are being told by Bernicia Homes that they must leave the address.
James said: “I’m very annoyed. I have got two special needs brothers and I am in bad health myself. I’m worried about being on the streets. They should be trying to get me a house. The way I am picking it up is we have to move on to the streets.”
James said he suffers from a rare form of arthritis that means his spine is crumbling and is similar to that of a 90-year-old. He said John has autism, epilepsy, spina bifida and scoliosis and Malcolm has autism, epilepsy, twisted ankles and a mental illness.
They haven’t unpacked anything in the flat as they do not know how long they will be able to stay. He said that at the moment he is sleeping on the sofa, Malcolm is sleeping on a camp bed and John is sleeping on a recliner chair with a stool.
James and his brothers previously lived in Newbiggin Hall area of Newcastle with his mum. They moved to Ashington, where Ethel lived, in 2017. He said that when his mum was diagnosed with cancer five years ago he took on more responsibility.
He said: “I was caring for four people – my two brothers, my mum and my grandma. I was diagnosed with exhaustion and we moved to Leicestershire. We moved down there for the family support. In January last year, my mum got the all-clear and we put in to move back to Ashington. The cancer came back in July.”
James said the coronavirus lockdown impacted on the support he was able to receive in Hinckley and there were issues within the family. He said: “Eight weeks ago, my mum lost her life. On the same day, my grandma got a call to collect her keys. My grandma fell in love with the flat. She didn’t even get to move in to the flat.
“She had already paid for everything to be moved. I wasn’t prepared to lose £4,500 that my grandma had paid.”
James said he is worried about the future as he doesn’t know where they will be living from now on. He has been asking Bernicia Homes and Northumberland County Council if they can help them to find a property to live in.
James said: “I just want a home I can move into as soon as possible so I can get settled for the rest of my life. I’m stressed and I’m worried sick.”
Jeannie Mcmillan, director of housing services at Bernicia, said: “We are aware of the Siddell family’s situation and appreciate it is a stressful time for them. Unfortunately, the family has no legal interest in the property that was offered as a home for their grandmother, who sadly passed away before moving in.”
A spokesperson for Northumberland County Council said: “Mr Siddell has been accepted on to the Housing Register (however this does not provide details of his siblings and their circumstances. This will need to revisited with him).
“Mr Siddell has been awarded a priority based on their need for accommodation, however it would appear that the family gave up a tenancy in Leicestershire and moved into a property that they were not eligible to do so. The family do not have a local connection to Northumberland, therefore have been awarded the highest band possible in the circumstances.
“Our team did provide the family with advice in July, and they do need to explore all options for accommodation which will include the
private rented sector.”