Widower: 'I'm being forced out of my council home after 26 years'
A widower claims he is being forced out of the council home he and his late wife shared for 26 years.
Stuart Brooker, of Devon Road, Newark, lived with wife Tina in a Newark and Sherwood Homes (NSH) property.
After being reassured his tenancy would not change after his wife’s death, the 65-year-old was later told he had six months to vacate their home.
“Tina lived down Devon Road decades and 26 years at this property alone,” said Stuart.
“It isn’t something I want to give up.
He said that with a number of illnesses on top of dealing with the death of his wife, he and his family were worried his health would deteriorate if he had made to move.
“It was such a shock when Tina died,” he said.
“I have had depression since and I have a lot of trouble sleeping, I’ve had a letter from my doctor confirming this.
“It is bad how the council (Newark and Sherwood Homes) is treating me and my health has since gone downhill.”
Stuart said two weeks after the death of his wife in September he was reassured by two tenancy officers who visited him that he could stay where he was.
He was further told by the two women he could move into a bungalow if that was what he wanted.
However, a few weeks after the home visit, Stuart said he received a phone call from NSH summoning him to Castle House for a meeting.
He said he thought it was was to sign some tenancy documents but, to his shock, was told he had to pay full rent, including Tina’s share, when he does not receive Housing Benefit, or risk being evicted by March next year.
“I am on Universal Credit and I cannot pay it. I took early retirement after I had two heart attacks,” he said.
“The rent is £86 per week and I only receive £72.
“My step-daughter has been covering the rent for me at the moment and my sister does my shopping every week.
“I try to pay her back but she won’t take my money.
“Before Tina died I put my name on the rent book because I had moved out for two weeks after we had an argument — that was in August.
“But when I went to Castle House they said I did not live there for a year.”
Karen Meanwell, Stuart’s niece, said she was disgusted at how her uncle was being treated and thought more should have been done to support him.
“I think it would kill him if he went out of this house,” Karen said.
“He has got so much going on, and his neighbours and family are very worried about him.
“His memories are here and the council (NSH) does not understand that.
“This is like his little castle and he has his own little world here.”
She said the council (NSH) had made Stuart confront things surrounding his wife’s death that he did not want to address yet.
“After I picked him up from Castle House after his meeting I thought he was having another heart attack because of how worked up he got over the whole thing,” she said.
“Things need to be put in place so these things do not happen after a person’s spouse dies.”
A spokesman for Newark and Sherwood Homes, which manages homes on behalf of the district council, said: “Mr Brooker has received assistance from Newark and Sherwood Homes after the sad loss of his wife, and is being supported on the housing options currently available to him.
“We cannot disclose information on individual tenancies, however as a social landlord we ensure that every property is allocated as per our policy.”
The district council said it had no contact with Stuart Brooker or Karen Meanwell over the issue.
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