A MUM-OF-THREE who claims she has been forced to live in a bed and breakfast with her family for six months has said the ‘temporary’ solution is “breaking us apart”.

Tina Louise Monk, 42, was living with her children at her partner’s home before he was evicted and Worcester City Council (WCC) moved all five of them into The Barbourne Guest House, Barbourne Road.

“It’s nearly Christmas and considering they can only allow kids in a B&B for no more than six weeks and it’s been six months,” she said.

“The council don’t seem to be doing anything. They haven’t paid any housing benefit where we are at the moment.”

Ms Monk said her partner went to the council the day he was evicted and the family were quickly moved into the temporary accommodation.

Since then, she has registered under her own name on the council’s Home Choice Plus (HCP) online system to bid for housing association properties every Tuesday.

“About three or four weeks after we were moved to the B&B we registered in my name as I’ve got no evictions. We thought it would be easier because of his rent arrears,” she said.

But, she has so far had no luck bidding on homes through the system.

“For the last week I’ve bid on one property, but for the last two weeks there’s been nothing in Worcester.”

Ms Monk, who last month started a job as a cleaner in the city, said her three children, aged 16, 14 and 11, all go to Worcester schools.

“My 16-year-old son is at the age where he can’t move to a school out of the city. He’s in the final stages and it would not be ideal.”

Ms Monk’s partner is not currently in work, but she said if he was to find a full-time job, the £13 weekly fee they pay to remain in their current accommodation would go up and they would struggle to afford it.

The bedsit has only two rooms, with no cooking facilities, meaning the family “eat out every night” – and Ms Monk said the situation is putting strain on the family.

A spokesman for WCC admitted, when providing temporary solutions for the homeless, “it is a legal requirement for families with children to only stay in bed and breakfast accommodation for up to six weeks”.

“The council works hard to try to avoid longer stays, but the reality faced by most local authorities is that there are not enough suitable properties in the local area for the number of households on their waiting lists,” he said.

He went on to say: “WCC works proactively with all families who have the misfortune to find themselves homeless.

“If necessary we secure temporary accommodation for the family, and then work with them to help them find permanent accommodation.

“This involves helping them look at the range of housing options open to them, including housing association properties available through the city council and also private rented housing.”