Derogatory treatment
Virginia is a single mother with two young children, whose application as homeless to Hackney council was refused. She went to Duncan Lewis solicitors to review her decision. The advice from Duncan Lewis was given in a judgmental way, for instance that not having childcare is not a good enough reason to have stopped work. When she told her solicitor that she was having trouble understanding what he was saying, he wrote to her saying that he could understand her. The solicitor told her repeatedly and in writing that her review was going to fail, and implied that this was her own fault.
Eventually she returned home to find that the locks had been changed on her room, and for two nights was street homeless with her young children. She was able, through her own efforts to find work and reapplied to the council for housing. The experience of eviction and street homeless was a traumatic and stressful time for Virginia and her children. Virginia felt that Duncan Lewis were also treating her in a bad way, as if she did not deserve to be housed.
Youve not stated how ‘virginia lost her last home. I take it she had a home decided to give up her job and then didnt pay the rent. She could have applied for housing benefit and should have sought advice first.