A mum-of-seven from Meir says she is desperate for help and at breaking point after being left to raise six children alone in a cramped three-bedroom council house
A mum said she’s at breaking point after being left to raise six children alone in a cramped three-bedroom council house.
Ewelina Ciuruk, 35, from Meir in Stoke-on-Trent, has three children of her own and took in her sister’s three kids from Poland after her husband of 17 years returned to their homeland.
The strain forced her to quit her job at Fuchs Lubricants after eight years, as she struggled to juggle work with caring for the children. She said the move has also left her in limbo with her Universal Credit.
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“I worked at Fuchs Lubricants for eight years,” she explained. “After I brought the kids back with me from Poland, I carried on there for a few months. But it ended up being too much for me. I tried my best but I ended up having to leave because of all the stress and anxiety.”
Ewelina is now unemployed and without transport after her nine-seater vehicle broke down and had to be sold. She has launched a £2,600 online appeal for a new car but has so far raised just £430, Stoke-on-TrentLive reports.
She said: “I am having issues with my Universal Credit. They don’t understand my employment situation. Because I am the legal guardian of my sister’s children, I can’t be recognised as their foster parent – in Poland, you are recognised as both. So there is a conflict there – one which means I’m losing out.
“Social services came around the house and acknowledged that I’ve got a lot on with six children to look after. They said there’s no chance I can go to work because I’ll often be getting called from the school asking me to collect the kids or what have you. Employers don’t really want to take me on either because they can’t offer the flexibility I need.
“We’re also struggling with space. I’ve applied for a bigger house because there are seven of us living in this three-bedroom house. Everything’s stopped on that front. Nobody is contacting me about my application. No interest, nothing. I’ve sent emails asking for updates but I don’t get any response. I was hoping they have a house standing that needs someone to refresh it with some DIY, but I’ve had no luck.”
Eweline said she is currently forced to sleep in the living room with her youngest son, whole the other children share bedrooms upstairs, which can make things “very complicated”. The family have to share on bathroom, which has led to complaints from all of the children.
She added: “The rooms are small so sharing them is tough. A lot of our things are in boxes at the moment because we don’t have room to unpack them.”
A council spokesperson said: “The decision to place the children was under the jurisdiction of Poland, who directed the assessment. The city council completed a viability assessment which ruled that it was acceptable for the children to live with the resident. The city council is not legally able to grant fostering status in these circumstances as the decision was made outside of the UK.
“We will be reaching out to the family to consider whether there is any additional support required and will work with them to maximise their income and ensure that they are claiming everything they are entitled to.
“The resident does hold an active application on the housing register in the highest banding and an officer will make contact to provide advice and assistance with their housing options across all housing tenures. There is however a critical shortage of available larger homes which means families like this will often be waiting for some time to be assisted if they are looking to be accommodated in social housing.”