We feel ill here: Mother says toddler needed hospital because military house was mouldy
An Army spouse has told Forces News she had to take her toddler to hospital because she was ill due to mould in their service family accommodation.
Leah, who lives at Catterick Garrison, says her daughter is still not better - and living in the property is making the family all feel ill.
She says it was only after taking to social media where she posted pictures of the mould and of her daughter Florence in hospital that action was taken.
I feel let down
Leah told BFBS Forces News "We are all wheezing and coughing and have a level of exhaustion I've never experienced in my life. I feel physically drained every day just being in this house.
"My daughter's the same. The doctors have said due to her lifestyle, there is no other reason that they can see other than the mould.
"I feel let down...we are being provided with housing that is actually affecting our health."
After having had four call-outs to deal with the mould since moving into the property in October, Leah said when she phoned to make a formal complaint, she was told there were "no further issues".
But when she posted on social media shortly afterwards she got a phone call and was offered another property to live in.
"Within about 25 minutes of me posting on Twitter I had someone from Pinnacle ringing and saying 'I'm really sorry, we can get this started, we can get you moved' and that was a really good thing.
"I think it's in vast contrast to the fact that two hours before that after raising a formal complaint I was told actually Amey were happy with the works done and there was no further issues nothing that needed to be resolved."
Pinnacle and Amey have contracts with the MOD and are responsible for dealing with any issues with military properties.
They deserve a decent home
An MOD spokesperson told us "It is completely unacceptable for a family to have to live in a home with damp and mould. Our British forces personnel and their families make extraordinary sacrifices, the very least they deserve is a decent home.
"Fixing military housing is a priority for this Government, through our Armed Forces Bill we're creating a new Defence Housing Service to drive the biggest improvement in military housing in a generation, refurbishing and repairing tens of thousands of homes.
"We have taken the issues raised very seriously and are providing the family with a funded move to an alternative property, which is being prepared for their requested move in date."
New home, but £250 out of pocket
Leah says the property initially offered to her was smaller than the one she is currently living in - and was not in a great condition.
She was also offered a property above her entitlement which is bigger and which she agreed to take, knowing that it would be more expensive than the house she's in now.
She says the rent for the bigger property is £250 a month extra and she feels like the family is being punished for wanting to live in a clean house.
She told us: "We are now moving to a house that is above entitlement because I was told that was my only way to go,
"But it also does mean that we are going to be an extra £250 out of pocket a month, which feels like I have been penalised for the fact that I want a nice house that isn't full of mould."
BFBS Forces News understands that when the family move out of the property, it will be taken offline so that works can be completed to prevent damp and mould in the future.
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