‘The stress led my wife to having a miscarriage’published at 13:22 GMT
13:22 GMT
Stephen Menon
Reporting from Croydon County and Family Court
One man tells me he and his wife lost their jobs in the summer of 2024, and since then he has applied for more than 3,000 jobs on LinkedIn, with no luck.
The man was a former management consultant and his wife was a speech and language therapist, and he says they were used to living very well.
Nearly 18 months later, everything has changed. He was facing not only eviction today, but a County Court Judgement (CCJ), external on the money he owed – which would have not only made it difficult to find a new home to live in, but almost a death sentence on his ability to find a new job in his sector.
He and his wife tried everything before applying for Universal Credit. They spent their savings and maxed out their credit cards as they did not want a “handout”.
While he has found work as a labourer and a painter-decorator, the situation still weighs heavily on them.
“The stress led my wife to having a miscarriage,” he says.
The ruling went against them today and they have until March to pay the arrears – about £13,000 or they will be evicted.
However, the CCJ was separated from the proceedings after he “pleaded” with the claimant, meaning the issue will be dealt with privately rather than through the court.
Despite the relative good news, the potential loss of his son’s childhood home hits hard as he says it was “the perfect place for us”.