Thurrock mum 'still waiting for apology' over council's words

Heidi Dodson and her two sons left their rented Grays home with their possessions in suitcases after being evicted

A mum said she was still waiting for an apology after a council told her she would "cope and function reasonably well" being homeless.

Heidi Dodson, 56, was evicted from her Grays home after her landlord issued a no-fault eviction notice.

Thurrock Council rejected Ms Dodson's claim for housing support, but later apologised via a statement to the BBC.

The mum was still waiting, but the authority said it would write to Ms Dodson to apologise directly to her.

'I'm nothing to them'

Ms Dodson said the lack of a personal apology so far from the council over its language was "disappointing".

"They've told [the BBC] they're sorry, but they haven't told me because I'm nothing to them," she said.

Bailiffs evicted Ms Dodson and her sons on Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday bailiffs arrived to serve Ms Dodson with an eviction notice and asked her to vacate the property in Essex.

Ms Dodson lived with her two sons - Kieran, 29, and Alex, 25 - who are also now homeless. Kieran said he has been sofa-surfing at friends' houses, and Alex has turned to the council alongside his mother.

Her son Kieran said the council had "failed in their duty of care" to his mother. "To go into the unknown, not knowing if the council are going to help or not, it's scary," he said.

Kieran added that his family's possessions were now spread across various friends' houses, and the family had to leave some furniture behind in the house in Grays.

Heidi Dodson said she felt like she "is nothing" to Thurrock Council

Ms Dodson, who has had to move home 18 times, was served with a Section 21 "no-fault" eviction notice after seven years living in her Grays house. She told the BBC that the landlord needed her to move out while he updates the property to meet fire safety regulations.

Ms Dodson's local housing department wrote to her and said: "You are a person that I am satisfied can cope and function reasonably well with 'day-to-day' living and this would, I believe, still be the case if you were to become homeless or to remain homeless."

Ms Dodson told the BBC that she was "completely and utterly lost for words" when she read the letter.

'Very sorry'

Thurrock Council acknowledged that Ms Dodson was eligible for help, but maintained that she would be able to cope if she became homeless and was not a "priority need".

It told the BBC it would now review letters sent to local residents following the incident.

The authority said it was "very sorry" the letter "may not have fully reflected" the sympathy the council has for those facing homelessness and added: "We have agreed a personalised housing plan, we are supporting her to find a suitable home, and we have offered advice about her rights and the financial support available."

In a later statement it said: "We will be writing to Ms Dodson to apologise for the language used in the letter and the distress it has caused her."

As of last year, there were more than 4,000 people on the waiting list for council housing in Thurrock.

The council said it had acquired or built 328 social housing properties over the past five years, and had sold 301 through the Right to Buy scheme in the same timeframe.

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