Paul Maddocks and his 73-year-old mum Susan Weatherman were evicted from their Manchester home and moved into the hotel – where they’ve had no access to a fridge, microwave or cooker
A mother and son who were evicted from their home have been living off Pot Noodles in a Travelodge for weeks – with nowhere to cook a meal or clean their clothes.
Paul Maddocks, 43, and his 73-year-old mum Susan Weatherman were kicked out of their former home in Edgeley and moved into the hotel on Upper Brook Street in Manchester, where they’ve been struggling to get by with no access to a fridge, microwave or cooker. The pair are having to resort to eating Pot Noodles and takeaways daily, despite being on an ultra tight budget. “We’ve been here for three weeks now, it’s really playing on my mental health,” Paul said.
“We’ve not got a fridge in the room, a microwave, or a cooker, so we’re having to eat Pot Noodles and takeaways every day, and there’s no laundry here. We spent two weeks in a room with just one double bed. We’re running out of cash, we’re getting no support with food. We’re trying to budget but we’re really worried about when our money runs out.” It comes after a dad died in scalding hot bath as his family slammed hotel management for ‘ignoring warnings’.
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His mum Susan said: “It’s a nightmare, it’s doing my head in being here and we’re far away from our family and friends.”
Stockport Homes said it is “deeply sorry for the distress” the family is experiencing. A spokesperson said: “Losing your home through no fault of your own is incredibly hard, and we understand how much tougher it is to manage health issues while staying in a hotel. No one wants families to be in this situation, and we know it’s far from what anyone would consider a home.
“Like many areas across the country, we’re facing pressures on housing, with far more families needing permanent homes than there are properties available. Sadly, that means some people do have to stay in temporary accommodation while we work to find something more suitable.” Stockport Homes says it will continue working with the family to find an appropriate place for them to settle.
Paul and Susan, from Edgeley, were made homeless after their former landlord Gary Fildes sold the house they had previously been renting due to growing financial pressures. Gary got in touch with Stockport Homes about the situation in March to try ensure a smooth transition to social housing. He has since been supporting the family in their communication with Stockport Homes.
Gary said: “To put a 73-year-old in a hotel for nine days in one room [with her adult son] is mental, I have never heard anything like that. There’s been absolutely no message on time frames from the council. I just do not get where the compassion is from them.”
A Travelodge spokesperson said: “We understand the pressure local authorities are under and how difficult this is for them and for the people who desperately need a home. Like many other hotel providers, Travelodge works with local authorities to support them with their temporary accommodation needs.
“Travelodge’s focus is on ensuring all of our customers have a high quality experience across our hotels and we recognise that a hotel room is not a substitute for a home.”
Travelodge says it did not have any control over which room type was selected for the family and that the booking was made on the guests’ behalf. Paul, who has looked into renting privately but can’t find anything within their budget, is currently off work due to sickness, and said he has suffered with mental illness.
Rents in the borough have climbed to an average of £1,000 a month according to the Office for National Statistics, a rise of 8% from last year. Paul said he feels disappointed that there has not been more support from Stockport Homes to help them out of their desperate situation.
“My head is just burned out, we feel really let down by Stockport Homes, this is not good enough. I just want them to give us an update to know what’s happening. We have absolutely no idea how long we could be here for. We just do not feel they are trying to help us out of this. We’ve tried the private rental market and we just couldn’t afford it. We’re miles away from our family and friends and other things like GPs.”
Stockport Homes is owned by the Stockport Council and manages the borough’s social housing stock, where there are around 8,000 people on the register.