A woman trapped in a 'mouldy and damp' flat without enough money to put the heating on has received an early Christmas present - the offer of a new home.
Gilliam Walker was stuck in the crumbling flat after struggling to survive on £243-a-month of Universal Credit and being unable to pay off £200 in rent arrears - which she suspects prevented her from securing a different property.
This left her with no other choice but to remain in the crumbling Berwick Hills flat in Middlesborough, with temperatures plummeting to just nine degrees inside the apartment.
However, she is now hoping to leave the nightmare property after housing company Thirteen Group confirmed plans are underway to find her somewhere new.
She got in touch with Teesside Live earlier this week after reaching breaking point with the conditions.
Within hours of contacting the Thirteen Group, the housing firm confirmed plans were underway to find her somewhere new.
Speaking about the conditions, the 53-year-old mum said: "I'm on Universal Credit, I've go no money to even put the heating on.
"It is that cold my bedding and my clothes are cold and damp."
She has been living in the block of around 15 properties in Rothbury Road.
"There have been kids coming in and doing drugs, and they've thrown up all over," she claimed.
"The conditions are really bad. They are mouldy, damp and there's condensation on the windows.
"(The flats) don't get cleaned very often and there is no double glazing - if I put the heating on, that costs me £10 for one heater and that's just for one day."
Pictures from the property show stains - from where those youngsters apparently vomited - on the dirty staircase, just next to a discarded tab end.
Inside, window ledges are heavily stained while boarded up windows and barbed wire surround the flats, with Gillian adding: "They are just boarding them up and not putting anyone else in them."
The grim reality is tragically mirrored across much of the UK, with people relying on Universal Credit.
That was made harder earlier this year, when the Government ended the £20 uplift was scrapped.
The decision sparked concern that hundreds of families would be worse off.
Desperate for a new place to live, she had attempted to bid for a new property.
"They've said they won't move me because I owe money," claimed Gillian.
"At the minute, I've got a thermometer and it's as low as nine degrees and they know I can't afford to put the heating on."
However, she's now received the news she'd been hoping for.
Chris Marshall, head of housing at Thirteen, said: “We’re sorry to hear about Gillian’s experience and we’ve been in touch with her today to do a full assessment of her situation and needs, and as a result of this we’ve offered her alternative accommodation.
“We can’t comment on an individual customer’s circumstances, but generally if someone is looking to move, we’d consider a number of factors, which would include the customer’s needs, as well as being up-to-date with rent payments and how well they manage their tenancy.
“We have previously invested in additional security for the block but following a report about anti-social behaviour in the area recently, we’re working to see what else we can do to support customers and tackle the issues.”
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