A jobless couple are demanding a new
four-bedroom council house after having six children in their
one-bedroom flat because the mother claims she is so 'super-fertile' it
stops contraception working.
Maggie
Flisher, 26, and husband Gavin, 30, who get £27,000 a year in benefits,
have not had jobs since the birth of their first child in 2005.
Mrs
Flisher claims she cannot help getting pregnant and says they have
needed a bigger home ever since they started their family eight years
ago.
She blames repeated failures with the
pill, condoms, arm implants and a contraceptive injection for five out of
six of the pregnancies.
Packed in: Gavin and Maggie Flisher, who are
demanding a new council house, in their one bedroom flat with their six
children Lacieann, eight, (centre, rear) Elektra, six, (far left) Gavin
Jnr, five, (centre), Lilyrose, two, (right) and three-month-old twins
Paris Nicola and Martinjames (front left and right)
Mrs Flisher says she cannot work
because she is depressed and has mental health problems, while Gavin
has to stay in their cramped home to look after her and their family.
Their three eldest children Lacieann, eight, Elektra, six, and Gavin Jnr, five, all currently sleep in the only bedroom.
Maggie and her two-year-old daughter
Lilyrose sleep on a sofa bed in the lounge alongside three-month-old
twins Jamesmartin and Paris Nicola, who lie in Moses baskets.
Gavin, meanwhile, beds down wherever he can find a space.
Problems: Gavin with his daughters Elektra
(left), Lacieann and his son Gavin Jnr in their one bedroom, which means
the rest of the family must sleep in the lounge
Complaint: The family say they have no room for their family, Gavin is shown here with Lacieann in their cramped kitchen
They couple say they have so little room they have to rent a nearby lock-up to store their childrens' toys.
They
currently get an annual total of £22,900 in benefits, including
£540-a-month in jobseekers allowance, child benefit of £85-a-week and
child tax credit of £1,000 a month.
They also get housing benefit of £270-a-month to pay the rent on their flat in Maidstone, Kent.
'I've been here ten years but I've wanted to move since I had my first child and she's eight now,' Mrs Flisher said.
Complaints: The fertile pair say the pill, condoms, arm implants and an injection have all failed to stop them conceiving
No fun: The lack of space means the family have had to pay for storage for belongings and toys
'I had the twins this April and the council knew I was pregnant because I went and told them.
'I bid for a house and they said I was top priority but another person had been on the list longer so she got it.
Squeezed in: The parents, who haven't worked since 2005, say they cannot understand why the council won't rehouse them
'My girls are literally always arguing because they want their own space and my son has a pink and yellow room.
'The four-bed homes are like gold dust. I've been told I'm a main priority but then they are given to someone else.
'I reckon they should build more four bedroom houses because all the ones they have are full.
'All my friends and family say it is disgusting and that I shouldn't be in this situation.
'I just have to keep bidding if I'm going to be given a move.'
She was working in telesales when she first moved into the one-bedroom council flat in 2003 by herself.
The
following year she married labourer Gavin and their eldest child
Lacieann was born in 2005 - and the couple haven't worked since.
The 26-year-old says she begged her doctor to be sterilised but was told she was too young to be considered.
She added: 'I had contraception for all the children apart from my first one.
'I had the needle, I took the pill, I had the implant and for the twins I was taking the pill and had an implant.
'The doctor just said I was really fertile and they don't know what to do.
'I am too young to get sterilised and Gavin tried using a condom as well.
'The house has no space for storage so I have to spend £137 a month for a storage space on a industrial estate.'
Costly: The family rely on a total of £27,000 in
benefits paid out to them and their six children, who are all under the
age of eight
Maggie's midwife, health visitor and local Tory MP Hugh Robertson have all written to the authorities about the family's plight.
Maidstone Council said they would not move a family into a new home if there was still going to be an issue with overcrowding.
A
spokesman said: 'Housing associations do not accept nominations for
houses where applicants would be classed as overcrowded so applicants
with a four-bed need are advised not to bid on three-bed houses.
'Social
housing is scarce and bids made through the Kent Homechoice website are
considered by the waiting time on the housing register.
'Where
families have a need for large homes, they are offered support with
looking for a house in the private sector and given information on a
mutual exchange swap.'
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