Benefits couple fear they will be living in car for CHRISTMAS as they live off Greggs sandwiches with nowhere to go

A COUPLE living off Greggs sandwiches in their car fear they will still be stranded for CHRISTMAS with nowhere else to go.

Parents Judd Day, 33, and Jade Wass, 26, have been forced to wash in supermarket sinks or the sea while living in their Ford Focus in Redcar, near Middlesbrough.

The couple moved to Birmingham to be closer to Judd's family - but after issues with their flat they decided to move back to their home town in the North East in September.

They thought they would be rehoused, but complications with Middlesbrough Council left them stuck ever since.

Jade told the Sun: "I think we will be here for Christmas most likely, but we don't want to be.

"We've even begged the council to put us in an emergency accommodation which they did for two nights before making us leave.

"It's embarrassing seeing people coming past and looking and laughing at us.

"They should put themselves in our position and see how they feel."

Judd added: "We have to spend about £15 to £20 a day on petrol to get around to buy food and to have the engine on at night.

"Then we have to rely on buying takeaways, sandwiches and coffees from places like Greggs and the local bakers.

"We have two meals a day at the most but we have to go out to buy it."

He added: "Instead of putting gas and electric on in a house we are putting petrol in to get around places.

"I've had Covid symptoms for a few days but we have nowhere to properly isolate.

"I'm going out in the community to buy hot drinks and food. The money that we get in benefits per month is only lasting two-and-a-half weeks.

"The rest of the time after that we have to ask strangers to see if they have any spare change.

"We're so cramped in the car, if we were in a house I would at least be able to be smart and get clean.

'NOWHERE TO GO'

"People have said we should stay in a B&B but if we did that we could only stay for about ten days and then what would we do after that?"

Police have knocked on the couple's windows telling them to move their car on but local residents have been more supportive, they said.

The couple's two children - aged three and six - are staying with relatives meaning they only see their parents every fortnight.

Jade said it's "horrible" not seeing her kids - and has made their dire situation "even worse".

She said: "I see them about once a fortnight and it's absolutely killing me.

"Judd is on limited capability work part where he can't work because of his mental health issues and difficulties.

"We get £500 a month and then Judd gets an extra £348.

"I can't work either because I have bad back problems after a serious car accident so medically I can't."

Judd added: "We've bought body sprays and shampoos and we've gone into Morrisons to wash.

"We're wearing pairs of socks for three days because we have no washer.

"If they give us a house and we had our dole money we would be able to go get proper shopping in."