Homeless family living in tent in woodland

Sasha Osborn and her family have been sleeping in a tent for four weeks

A homeless mother-of-two who has been living with her partner and children in a tent for a month says she has been let down by the authorities.

Factory worker Sasha Osborn said she was unable to keep up with her rent after her wages were cut when she was off sick twice with Covid.

The family, from Lincolnshire, initially became homeless in November and have now been living under canvas for a month.

Boston Borough Council said the family were "homeless intentionally".

"It's chaos," Ms Osborn told BBC Look North from a woodland clearing.

"[We're] a wreck. It's unliveable.

"Routine's gone out the window, especially now... when it's ten o'clock at night, it's still daylight outside, my children won't sleep until it's pitch black."

Sasha Osborn said there were no "loopholes" for her family

The 31-year-old, who said she was nine weeks pregnant, explained that her sick pay was around a quarter of her normal wage.

"I managed to keep up with my payments the first time.

"The second time I just couldn't. I couldn't keep up.

"If it wasn't for that maybe I'd still be there."

She said after losing their home, Boston council placed her family, which includes children aged seven and 10, in a Skegness hotel 20 miles away from where she worked in Boston.

Ms Osborn said they were later placed in a multiple occupancy hostel for six months.

She said the site was not safe for her children, one of whom has special educational needs.

The family eventually pitched their tent in the garden of a family friend and, when visited by social services, Ms Osborn said she was shocked to be told her set up was “lovely”.

She said she was told their situation did not “meet the criteria” for help and, due to having access to running water and other facilities, it was “fine”.

However, on Saturday the family's circumstances changed and the family had to leave the garden and pitch the tent in woodland.

As a result of the change, Ms Osborn said she was told by social services her children now had to stay with relatives.

But, she claimed, there were safeguarding issues around the placements, which had been ignored.

“I believe I am entitled to support and housing 100%,” Ms Osborn said.

“My kids are entitled to it.”

The family moved their tent from a relative's garden to a local woodland on Saturday

Tara Jones, assistant director for children’s safeguarding at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We want all local children to be safe, so, even though we aren’t the housing authority, we’re working hard to support the family through this difficult situation.

"This is a complex case and we’re exploring all options to help get the family into suitable housing.”

Boston Borough Council, which received £294,284 in January to protect vulnerable people from homelessness, said Ms Osborn had "the means to pay the rent and chose not to".

A spokesperson told the BBC the family were housed in temporary accommodation until late May, which was "considered reasonable based on her circumstances".

Ms Osborn's MP, Matt Warman, said he was investigating her case.