Jay Lamb, 21, fears eviction from her Leith flat due to £14k rent debt, compounded by mice and benefit issues.
Her housing benefits application had issues, and rent has not been paid for two years. Jay has a two-year-old son and a 10-week-old baby. She says the charity did not help fix the problem.
Jay says both the council and Universal Credit denied her. She is worried about mice in her flat. Pictures show mice and a rat, and although an exterminator came, it did not fix it.
The charity warned Jay about her unpaid rent. They plan to give her a 28-day notice to leave. Jay, who lives in supported housing, asked Edinburgh Council for housing benefits.
They would pay either Jay or Dean and Cauvin, depending on her income. It also included her partner’s income if he lived there. Her application was denied, and she did not appeal the council’s choice.
The council said her support was minimal, stating they could not prove she lived in supported housing. Dean and Cauvin says they have not given an eviction notice. They are working with Jay to find a fix.
Gary Dewar, the Chief Executive, said they use pre-eviction notices as a last resort. The charity wants to avoid eviction, but rodents are still there despite pest control.
Jay said the charity was to help her with housing benefits. Both housing benefits and Universal Credit refused her, and she felt stuck. She thought it was managed until July. She said the charity helped since it was her first flat.
After returning from Wales, she got an eviction notice. She had planned to visit citizens advice. The flat has had mice and rats since early 2023, and her baby was born in late 2024. A dead mouse was on the floor when she came home, and the exterminator helped for only a week.
She thinks it is unsafe for her and her kids. There was mouse waste on their beds upon her return. The charity said the flat is for one person and their kids; they think her partner lives there.
They also said she did not meet her support worker and needed to complete a homeless assessment. She wanted to wait after her baby was born. She says her partner visits to help with the kids.
They think he lives there since he is often present. She has lived with mice for 1.5 years. She feels the charity let her get to this point.
Jay does not know what will happen. She fears being placed in a hotel. She does not know what will happen to the debt if she moves, and thinks she will be homeless.
She hears mice at night and doesn’t want her son to get up, fearing they’ll run on the floor. Jay’s rent is around £250 each week. She has not paid since she moved in, according to them both. Workers have offered support, but cancelled meetings made it impossible.
They will issue a 28-day notice on February 1. The tenancy ends on February 28, 2025, and they will try to recover the debt. Gary Dewar says they value privacy. They keep cases confidential and do not discuss personal details publicly to protect them.
They aim to work with people to keep their homes. Their services help people’s needs, and they work to find good solutions. They offer support if a tenancy agreement is broken and view notices as a last resort, trying to avoid eviction.
If someone wants to share, they can, and they will work with them directly. Dewar hopes people understand their position. They are ready to discuss their work and want to support people in Edinburgh.