A homeless grandmother who demanded a mobile home so she could claim benefits has REJECTED a caravan – to stay in a B&B footed by the taxpayer.
Eccentric Hannah Rose, 71, was sleeping rough in a car when she contacted Ashford Borough Council in Kent in a bid to secure a permanent address in the town.
The hippy is desperate for a postcode so she can claim housing benefit and get her pension topped up from £50 to £145 a week.
It led to her being moved into a £196-a-week B&B in the town so she wasn’t homeless over the Christmas period.
But now she has rejected a caravan recommended by the council – because it was too dirty for her and her two pet cats.
Ms Rose, who has lived all over the UK and abroad, most recently moving to Kent from Sussex in November, said: “It was absolutely horrendous. The caravan was disgusting.
“The windows were not clean, the furnishings were nicotine-encrusted and the stench of cigarettes was overpowering. It was unacceptable.
“The friend who came with me said she wouldn’t put a dog in there.”
A spokesman from Ashford Borough Council has now said they didn’t have a duty to inspect the caravan as it wasn’t an official offer of accomodation.
He said: “Ms Rose is still in temporary accommodation and investigations are continuing into her housing situation.
“When Ms Rose first approached Ashford Council she advised us that she would be happy to live in a caravan whilst she sought accommodation in an eco-friendly community.
“As part of our advice service we gave her the details of a caravan park as we were advised by them that they would accept occupiers on housing benefit.
“At no time was this an offer of accommodation through homelessness, therefore the accommodation did not require our inspection to confirm suitability.”
Ms Rose emigrated from the UK in 1996 when she married German husband Heimrich Stolz .
The couple traveled the world with his work and Ms Rose spent much of the time not working so she could bring up their two children.
When the marriage broke down she returned to the UK with African husband Philip Hamrioui and the couple bought a house in Exeter, Devon.
Ms Rose taught French classes for children but says she was on a low wage so paid minimal contributions.
When her second marriage broke up she said her home was ‘lost to the bank’ thanks to my ex leaving her with nothing.
Ms Rose, who is part of campaign group Avaaz, has since lived in a number of places including a travellers site in Surrey where she claims she was terrorised by neighbours.
