Homeless woman claims she was refused emergency housing at SIX MONTHS’ pregnant – and then loses her baby
36-year-old Sarah was sleeping rough on the streets of Manchester but had been looking forward to the birth of her baby boy
A PREGNANT homeless woman claims that she was refused emergency housing at six months’ pregnant as she wasn’t a considered a “priority”.
36-year-old Sarah was sleeping rough on the streets of Manchester but had been looking forward to the birth of her baby boy.
Tragically, Sarah ended up miscarrying her baby at hospital, before going back on to the streets to beg.
Appearing on Channel 4’s Dispatches, Sarah was filmed lying down on make-shift cardboard bedding in a Manchester car park while clutching at her swollen tummy.
She had been living rough for 14 weeks when she was filmed and, although excited for her new arrival, had been nervous of social services taking him away from her.
Sarah told the show that she went to the council early in her pregnancy but was told she wouldn't be a priority until much closer to giving birth.
She added: “They told me I’m not a priority for being pregnant in the situation I’m in….until I’m eight months or baby’s born I’m not a priority to anybody.”
But, Manchester City Council denied that they had heard from Sarah.
They went on to say: “We would always treat a pregnant woman presenting as homeless as priority regardless of the length of time she has been pregnant.
“We would never turn a pregnant woman away.
“There is no record that the woman interviewed has contacted us, either presenting as homeless or seeking other assistance”.
A month after the program was filmed, Sarah lost her baby.
She then went back to living on the streets.
But Sarah’s is not the only case of women fighting a losing battle while living on the streets.
Dispatches revealed that the number of rough sleepers has risen for the sixth year in a row – with women being a particularly exposed group.
The program went undercover to examine claims that councils are unable to cope and are wrongly turning women away.
It is claimed that, in many instances, women are turned away without being properly assessed or able to make a homeless application - despite showing themselves to have mental health issues, learning difficulties or that they are fleeing domestic abuse.
In the episode, Dispatches also enlisted the help of theatre company Cardboard citizens; all their actors have been homeless at some point.
Three of them went undercover to investigate concerns raised about “gatekeeping” and the turning away of vulnerable women.
Undercover reported Sherrie’s cover story is that she has clinical depression, homeless and facing a night on the streets, she goes to Haringey Council for help and according to guidelines she should be considered for emergency accommodation.
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However, she is told her situation isn’t “life threatening”.
The council go on to tell her: “I’m just here to advise you what the council does and what they don’t do” and is also turned away by five other local authorities.
Haringey Council told Dispatches: “Our response on this occasion fell below the high standards we would usually expect.
“While the reporter was offered information on shelters and hostels, she should also have been offered a follow-up appointment with a specialist advisor, and we are sorry that this didn’t happen.
“We will be giving additional training to our staff so that we can be confident that they are best placed to offer the most appropriate guidance to each individual.”
Lisa is Dispatches’ second undercover reporter, her cover story is that she has fled a violent partner and with nowhere to stay, she’s now homeless.
The third undercover reported was Jo, who claimed to have learning difficulties and was facing a night sleeping rough.
Both cases were turned away.
Out of 15 approaches organised by the show, only four women were offered emergency accommodation.
The Department for Communities and Local Government said: “one person without a home is one too many”.
It added: “That is why we’re investing £550million during this parliament to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, including projects specifically for women including female-only shelters, emotional support and educational opportunities.”
UNDERCOVER: Britain’s Homeless Scandal: Channel 4 Dispatches is on Monday February 13, Channel 4, 8pm.