Chance of happiness at risk

But now that happiness is under threat because North Wiltshire District Council is not paying the housing benefit she needs to stay in the home where she is has found the care and support to help her sort her life out.

Single mum Liz Coe, 21, took Leanne under her roof in November while she was going out with her elder brother Darren.

Life had become too much for 17-year-old Leanne, who had been moving back and forth between her father's house in Chippenham and her mother's London home for more than four years.

Leanne said her mum kicked her out and she moved to bed and breakfast accommodation, but was burgled and ended up homeless, mixing with the wrong crowd and getting into drink and drugs.

Her life became so bleak she took an overdose with the intention of killing herself.

"A lot of stuff happened to me back then and I took an overdose and ended up in hospital," said Leanne.

"If I think back to how I was then, before I came here, I wouldn't be here now. I know I would have tried it again."

After Leanne tried to take other own life, Social Services contacted her father and sent her from London to Chippenham. But due to overcrowding and other problems she was having with her father, Leanne could not stay with him.

She vividly remembers the first day her boyfriend brought her to Mrs Coe's house in Blackwell Hams, Chippenham.

"When I came here on November 26 at 3am, we sat up talking until 5am about my problems and my past," she said.

Mrs Coe, who has a ten-month-old baby, Hayden, and has studied childcare, contacted Social Services in Wiltshire to ask if she could look after Leanne as a carer or foster parent in exchange for enough money to pay for her keep.

But she was told this wasn't possible. A counsellor Leanne was seeing at the time, suggested it could be done by asking the district council to pay housing benefit to Mrs Coe for looking after Leanne.

But more than three months later Mrs Coe and Leanne say they are being constantly fobbed off with excuses. They estimate they are owed £1,000 in benefits already.

Mrs Coe said she is living on family tax credit of little more than £80 a week. This has pay for her rent of £60, food for herself, Leanne and the baby, as well as nappies, baby milk and utilities.

She cannot afford to pay her rent and says she cannot afford to pay for Leanne's upkeep forever.

Leanne receives £40 a week in income support and gives £15 a week to Mrs Coe. They say the council should be paying another £45 to make it up to £60.

"I think they're just holding out and holding out because it's so close to my 18th birthday and then I won't be their responsibility anymore," said Leanne.

"I've got depression and paranoia and I'm being counselled, and none of this helps."

Because Leanne had a lot of problems when she was younger she played truant from school and was more likely to be found stealing cars than studying. But now she has enrolled in a First Steps course at Chippenham College, where she is taking her GCSEs.

Neither of her parents are supporting her financially.

Mrs Coe said: "We work really hard to keep Leanne's self esteem up, which isn't easy, and she keeps getting her hopes up when we get so far with this, only to find that it keeps being put off.

"There are so many people out there screwing the system but I want to do everything by the book.

"I just think they have no morals. Leanne is trying to sort her life out and I'm trying to help her but we are getting no help."

Leanne said: "It doesn't set a very good example for other young people who are in similar situations. They might as well say if you move out and get away from it then nobody will care what happens to you so you might as well stay there."

But Coun Lesley Bennett, the district council's portfolio holder for customer services, said the council did care and was attempting to sort the situation out.

She said: "I am very sad to hear about the difficulties experienced by Leanne and Mrs Coe. They have had a tough time.

"North Wiltshire District Council is very sympathetic to the problems of people on housing benefit; we try and do the best we can as soon as we can.

"In the case of Leanne, as soon as her circumstances became clear, action was immediately taken to assist her and an urgent payment advance has now been released. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control (staff leaving and sickness) we have built up an unacceptable backlog in processing benefit claims. It is now our priority to sort out the backlog, and we will be bringing in extra staff and changing our working practices to target improvement.

"We are working to improve our service not only to Leanne but to all benefit claimants in north Wiltshire."

Annie Hudson, director of Social Services for Wiltshire, said: "We have had contact with Leanne and one of our resource centre workers has helped her with advice and support with getting the right benefits.

"Given Leanne's age and circumstances it would not have been appropriate for fostering to be considered."

jbishop@newswilts.co.uk

Where teenagers can get the help they need

l National homelessness charity Shelter provides free, professional and independent advice to more than 100,000 homeless and badly housed people each year throughout England and Scotland.

It has more than 50 Housing Aid Centres and projects providing expert information, advice and advocacy. Homeless people of all ages can call Shelterline, a free, national helpline providing advice and information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, on (0808) 8004444.

l Childline is a free, confidential helpline for children and young people in the UK. They can call the helpline on (0800) 1111 at any time, day or night, about any problems they are facing or going through.

Childline will not talk to anyone else about a call unless the caller wants them to.

l The NSPCC Child Protection Helpline is there to help, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Calls are free, unless you're calling from a mobile phone.

Its staff provide counselling, information and advice to anyone concerned about a child at risk of ill treatment or abuse and children and young people themselves who need help. The number to call is (0808) 8005000.

l The Citizens Advice Bureaux offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice. Five million people seek help from Citizens Advice Bureaux every year. The CAB helps solve problems that are central to people's lives, including debt and consumer issues, benefits, housing, legal matters, employment, and immigration. Advisers can help fill out forms, write letters, negotiate with creditors and represent clients at court or tribunal.

CAB's Chippenham office can be contacted on (01249) 443046, and its Kennet office in Devizes on (01380) 728771.