A jobless family of 11 on £42,000-a-year in benefits got a new £300,000 seven bed home after the council knocked two together — just three doors down from their old ‘cramped’ house.
Scroungers Kevin and Sharron Bishop rake in £3,500 of taxpayer’s cash every month for them and their nine children.
They had been living in a four-bedroom property but this weekend stunned neighbours watched in disbelief as they carted their all belongings just yards down the road.
The new dream home is two council houses which have been knocked through to create a seven-bedroom address costing the taxpayer around £50,000.
Neighbours living on the estate in Yeovil, Somerset, yesterday branded the couple ‘work-shy scroungers’ whose children have terrorised the neighbourhood for years.
Residents are furious that the couple haven’t worked for 20 years but pocket the incredible sum of cash despite regularly laying in bed until midday.
One, who did not want to be named, said: ”They’ve been spending their benefit money on luxury parrots – some cost them as much as £800.
”They are scroungers and all the money they get and spend is taxpayers’ money. They are fit enough to work but they just don’t want to.
”There’s also a lot of late night noise and vandalism and harassment from their children.
”They moved in on Friday and that house was done up inside-out, but within the next few weeks it’ll be ruined.”
Another added: ”They have been given a new double house which is infuriating for the majority of people around here.
”That’s because neither one of them has done a decent day of work in their lives.
”It’s frustrating when we pay taxes.”
The Bishops’ £42,000 annual payout – around twice the average national income – is made up of income support, tax credits, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
On Friday, they moved all their belongings – which included flat screen TVs, sofas, armchairs, beanbags and DVDs – to their new home.
Youngsters dragged the items the few yards from 23 Mayfield Road in Yeovil, Somerset to 29 and 31 on Friday.
The yellow semi-detached home(s) are newly built with two reasonably-sized back gardens and are kitted out with a range of brand new white goods.
Yarlington Housing Group, which provided the new home, said the family qualified for a new scheme called Furnicare, in which they can buy furniture at reduced prices.
Chain smoking former taxi-driver Kevin, who is in his 40s, said: ”I don’t want to hear any more about this or I’ll phone the police for harassment.”
Sharon was unavailable at 12noon as she ”was still in bed”.
Neighbours told how the Bishops clan had caused continual trouble on the council estate since they moved there in 2003.
Their children, believed to be aged from between three and 18 years old, are responsible for a wide range of anti-social behaviour.
The Bishops are well-known for owning expensive parrots, some of which cost £1,000 each, which often escape into the local area.
A neighbour added: ”People down the road are desperate to have a house yet these people spend more money on parrots than they do food.”
One neighbour described the Bishop children as ”foul-mouthed brats” and the police were called earlier this year when their daughter Gemma harassed an elderly neighbour.
Yarlington Housing Group said the move was necessary because the family were ‘overcrowded’ in their previous home.
A spokesman said: ”We had a duty to re-house them and this was deemed the most appropriate way.
”Should they relinquish it at any time it can be easily returned to two homes.”
i wonder what agency you got these actors from
I am absolutely disgusted at this story. my partner and I are a young couple with a newly born baby and we are both working and struggling to make £30000 per year. we cant get a mortgage because without a giant deposit and at least £800 a month spare we will not be able to afford our own home. We are currently living in a 1 bed house and because our child is young, the council will not move us to a 2 bed house.
I am annoyed because we both work hard and want to give our daughter the best. we are living on £21 per week in tax credits and I can only imagine what these people are getting. I think at least one of the couple should go to work. I am disgusted that they can sit on their asses and stay in bed and still get £42,000 per year which they are scrounging off us workers who are scraping by on our legitimately earnt money. How come people like this can do nothing for 20 years and still be allowed to live off society. I think they should be forced to work and if they refuse, their children should be put into care as they do not have a proper environment to grow up in.
I hope to god that social services are a frequent visitor of this family. Im so angry that I will only ever dream about having a £300000 house and the council are throwing it at these people.
This is absolutely disgusting.
the whole system is geared up for these people,to have children when you have nothing should be a criminal offence.council estates full of anti social families who rely on benefits and think the country owes them something.most of them spend there monies on booze fags and drugs rather than feed and clothe there children,scumbags.the country owes you nothing if you are a drug addict
or alcoholic you are classed as being sick and unavailable for work and are therefore entitled to more benefits than the man who lost his job yesterday after 10 years in employment.what sort of example do these people set there children this countries welfare system is a complete mess and encourages people to abuse the system,come on the people who have the power to change things,lets make working for a living worth it and stop milking the hard working to feed the lazy degenerates the system has created.