A MUM of twelve has hit back at haters and their stereotypes of living in a council house.
Zoe, 46, and Ben Sullivan, 48, are parents to Scotland’s biggest family and recently moved into a council house with six bedrooms.
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The pair are parents to Elizabeth, 19, Olivia, 18, Noah, 15, Evangeline, 13, Tobias, 11, Agnes, 7, and Joseph, 6, two sets of twins, Charlotte and Isabelle, 16, and Leah and Erin, 8, and baby Flo 2.
Taking to Youtube, the family announced they were moving homes and it would be their first council property.
In the past, the couple has been supported by military accommodation as Ben worked for the Air Force.
They said it took them two years to find a suitable property to house them and their children but finally got offered a house.
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Typically, when you move into a council property it is an empty shell, but Zoe said they were lucky as the previous tenants left a few bits behind.
She said: “They were kind enough to leave us with the flooring so we made sure that we said to the council don’t take up the flooring because if you don’t ask them, they’ll come in, and they’ll rip up everything from the previous tenants.”
The mum also added that the local council was great for fixing any issues and assumed her comments would get a lot of hate.
“I know that this video is going to bring a whole load of hate but equally, I know that there are many people in the same position as us,” she continued.
“And they are also fed up with this stigma that is attached to living in a council house because it’s ridiculous.”
The pair said the new house was much smaller in size than the previous house despite having six bedrooms.
While there were more rooms, they were a lot smaller and the living space was also tiny but Zoe vowed to make it work.
The garden attached to the property was massive, giving the children enough space to run and play, and even get a trampoline.
Despite being happy in their new home, Zoe was eager to squash the claims that they don’t pay their way.
She continued: “There seems to be this stigma that if you live in a council house you have a free house and you get loads of benefit money.
The reality of living in a council house
LEANNE Hall, Digital Writer at Fabulous, has discussed what it was like growing up in a council house, and why those living in such properties are often judged…
When I was a child I grew up in a council house, and was blissfully unaware of the discrimination that came with that, until I became an adult.
My younger years were spent running up and down the stairs of my flat, meeting with other friends who lived there and making the most of the communal garden.
But now, it seems no matter your circumstance, everyone has something to say about why you shouldn’t be there.
Living just outside of London like I did, rent prices are still high, and as my mum was at home raising three kids at the time, it wasn’t easy to find a job that fit around that.
People in council houses are often labelled as ‘scroungers’ or ‘lazy’ but it’s nothing of the sort.
Most families in council homes experience overcrowding, and let’s not even mention the horrendous amount of damp and mould that comes from living in old social housing that hasn’t had work done to them in 50 or so years.
It’s not ideal for many, but it does provide a secure home without the fear your rent will shoot up every single year, which I would argue is vital to children growing up on the poverty line.
“Maybe that’s the case for some people but for the majority of us we pay our rent we pay our council tax.”
The house, located in Burghead, Moray, has come as a relief for the family, and while they were adamant about dismissing hate in the video, people commenting were upbeat about the family’s housing situation.
One person wrote: “Thanks for sharing guys, I applaud your honesty. There is absolutely no shame at all in staying in a council house and you have a lovely house and garden.”
Another commented: “Great video, I didn’t even realise it was a council house you live in, and it’s really no one else’s business. As you said, it’s not a free house, you still pay rent and bills etc. I’m very jealous of where your house is located.”
“Ben and Zoe, you shouldn’t have to justify yourselves to anyone; I live in a council house and don’t care what anyone thinks,” penned a third.
Meanwhile, a fourth said: “As long as a house is a home it doesn’t matter if it’s rented or mortgaged – your home is filled with love and memories – in life that’s what it’s all about.”
“You guys have nothing to be ashamed about,” claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: “Thousands of people live in social housing, whats wrong with that.”
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