As the SKWAWKBOX covered at the weekend, in spite of promises to the contrary by Theresa May and the local council some residents of Grenfell Tower have been offered accommodation in Preston and even as far north as Northumberland – and threatened with being labelled ‘intentionally homeless’ if they refuse the offer.
Being judged ‘intentionally’ homeless would mean the withdrawal of support and the loss of a position on housing lists.
But it has emerged that it can also mean losing custody of your children.
Intentional homelessness when dependent children are involved usually results in the involvement of social services and, as a government document on intentional homelessness confirms, Social Services departments,
frequently limit their response to ‘offering’ to take the children into care.
The document goes on to elaborate that the government’s
aim should be to avoid families being split up as a consequence of homelessness through a mix of better prevention services and support packages and the use of other means of intervention such as anti-social behaviour orders where appropriate
but offers no guarantee that the aim must be successfully achieved.
The inhumanity of the attempts to pressure Grenfell survivors into accepting unsuitable or distant accommodation is even more profound than it at first appeared.
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