When homeless pensioner Dawn Martin sought help from housing officers at the Isle of Wight council, she was shocked to find the best they could offer were vouchers for food and a tent, saying she wasn’t entitled to emergency housing.
The 62 year old says she’d been trying to get help with re-housing since leaving her winter let some three weeks ago.
Didn’t meet eligibility criteria
However, council officials told her that she didn’t meet eligibility criteria and the best they could do was to offer vouchers for her to buy a tent, so she could at least have a temporary shelter.
The officers argued that Mrs Martin, who has been camping on cliff paths, was not vulnerable enough, but she told the CP,
“I don’t know how they can say a 62 year old camping alone at night isn’t vulnerable.”
Prospect of B&B
We understand that the council have now requested more information from Mrs Martin in the hope of being able to provide costs for B&B accommodation.
Source: County Press 31.5.2103
Image: (Not Mrs Martin’s actual tent) Grand Canyon NPS under CC BY 2.0
