'Jobless family of TWELVE handed eight-bedroom former children's home (and, of course, it's the taxpayer who is footing the bill)

A family of twelve who rejected a string of council houses have finally got their dream home - an eight-bedroom house courtesy of the taxpayer.

Donna Harrison, 35, and Fabian Bland, 43, had been squashed into a terraced house in Bradford with ten children aged between two and 15.

The family turned down several four-bedroom houses offered to them by their social landlord because they had set their heart on a former children’s home.



Both parents are unemployed, so their £133-a-week rent is paid through housing benefit.



New home: Donna Harrison and Fabian Bland with (back row) Daniel, 14, Fabian, three, Megan, 12, Sarah, 14, Chloe 13, and (front row) Fabienne, four, Morgan, seven, Jack, nine, Kieron eight, and Aaron, 12, now have an eight-bedroom house to call home

Mother Donna said: 'Getting this house is the best thing that’s ever happened to us.

'All the kids absolutely love it and I love it. It’s made a really big change to our lives.

'They have their own space, they can do their homework. They have space to do whatever they want to do.

'We got the news just before Christmas so it was a great Christmas present for us. We moved in just after and have been busy sorting everything out since then.

'I’m over the moon, it’s just absolute heaven.'

'Absolute heaven': With eight bedrooms to go around, there's space for four of the children to have their own bedrooms in the house, which also has a garden and dining room

The couple have seven children of their own, and also care for Donna’s sister’s three children following the death of their grandmother, who was their guardian.

Donna and Fabian receive £500 per month in child benefits and child tax and £160 per fortnight for Jobseeker's Allowance, and their rent in housing benefit.

Donna added: 'Fabian lost his job as a delivery driver about six months ago so getting the house after the battle was good news for us in what has been a hard time.

'He’s been busy decorating the new house, painting the walls and that sort of thing.

'It’s made a massive improvement - just things like using the bathroom. In our last house there was just one but now we have two and a separate toilet so everything’s much easier.

'We’ve got a dining room which we didn’t have before, and a huge kitchen. There is so much more space, and it’s not cluttered anymore - in the last house it was always so full and cluttered.

'There is a great big garden for the children to play in too.'

Busy decorating: Fabian lost his job when his boss retired six months ago

Donna used to share a bedroom with a son, daughter and her partner in their old £80-per-week home, and had received a letter from her daughter Fabienne’s school suggesting sleeping arrangements needed to be changed because the six-year-old kept telling teachers she needed an afternoon nap.

Now, Donna and Fabian have their own bedroom and so do four of the children.

This is the first time in 20 years that Fabian has claimed benefits.

Donna said: 'I know what some people will say about us living off the state with so many children, and it makes me angry.

'He’s worked hard all his life and he couldn’t help losing his job - he worked for a small family-run business and when the boss decided to retire there was nothing he could do but let Fabian go.

'Fabian’s looking for work every day. He is desperate for a new job but it’s difficult for anyone to get a job nowadays.

'Yes we have a lot of children but that was unexpected - I didn’t expect to be looking after my sister’s children but that’s the way things have turned out.

'I didn’t expect my mum, who was caring for them, to die so early from cancer.

'And I’m saving the state money in looking after my sister’s children - it would be costing the Government thousands if they were in care.'

Donna has previously spoken of how the children, Sarah, 16, Daniel, 15, Chloe, 14, Megan, 13, Aaron, 13, Jack, 10, Keiran, nine, Morgan, eight, Fabienne, six, and Fabian Jr, three, struggled to fit in their old house.

The family were disappointed to be told last September that they wouldn’t be able to move into their dream home, and contacted Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe and Councillor Michael Johnson for help.

Mr Sutcliffe said: 'We are pleased that finally common sense prevailed and through cooperation and understanding of the family’s needs they were finally able to be housed appropriately.

'It’s sad it took the length of time it did.'

Cathy Ashley, chief executive of the Family Rights Group charity, who described the family’s former living conditions as 'hellish', said of the news: 'We are very pleased that this seems a happy ending.

'Many family, friends and carers across the country continue to struggle to get suitable accommodation.