'I spent decades teaching your children - now I'm homeless and abandoned'

'I spent decades teaching your children - now I'm homeless and abandoned' Sofia Cox said she moved to Liverpool hoping to setting up an AI music business, but her time in the city has been fraught due to what she says is a lack of official support An ex-teacher who returned to the UK after a long stint working abroad claims she has been left homeless and shown "zero empathy" by social services. Sofia Cox, 59, who is originally from Dorset, taught secondary school in England before moving to Dubai. She remained in the nation for a decade before, spurred by the war in Iran and a violent incident at her new school, she moved back to the UK. She went through a number of difficult life events after returning home and settling in Northamptonshire, and eventually decided to move to Liverpool, but the city didn't provide the opportunity she had hoped. Sofia told the Liverpool Echo she came to the city on the recommendation of a longtime family friend, and believed the city was the best place to establish an AI Music business. She arrived in September only to find housing benefits she had previously been receiving were wiped. On top of having no money for accommodation, the former teacher said she has also been unable to access her pension. She said: "I didn't realise I was going to lose my housing benefit when I came to Liverpool, I also thought I would have access to my teacher's pension, which I have been unable to access. So I would have easily had enough to put down a deposit on a flat and a first month's rent. I never came here wanting to be a burden on the system." Sofia turned to friends and family on her birthday in September, seeking support so she could briefly stay at an Airbnb in the city, and at the same time applied to Liverpool City Council for housing help. But without luck, she registered with Liverpool's principal homeless charity, the Whitechapel Centre, where she was triaged and, after receiving a call from the council, informed she would have to live in Bedford. She explained: "I was triaged there and told to expect a call from Liverpool Council. "They called me after I left the centre and told me I would have to go to Bedford, a place I lived 10 years ago and where I have no connections with and no money to get to. Then the woman on the phone hung up on me. "By this point I was exhausted, stressed and distraught. I went back to the Whitechapel centre crying and was told to wait in a room full of men. There is no separate waiting room for women. For a woman who is not used to being homeless, this was a big issue for me. There was a man who was high on drugs in there." Sofia said she was eventually told to leave and call the same helpline numbers she had tried before, with a staffer telling her there were two potential placements - but they never called back. She ended up "out on the street with my luggage" after trying the Whitechapel centre again, and was seen by two outreach staff. They asked her more questions about her circumstances. She claimed that, following the discussion, the men went to their car, came back and told her there was nothing they could do. She said: "They drove away and left me at around 9pm, with my luggage, on the street, in the dark, outside the Central Library. "I dialled 999 and asked the police for help. They told me to ring the council or the Whitechapel Centre." The Whitechapel Centre however disputes the account, saying outreach staff had offered her a stay at a night assessment hub, providing she'd be funded to travel out of the city the day following. Sofia said there was nowhere for her to be "reconnected" to. Centre staffers had told her the lack of connection to Liverpool could cause issues for her, a conclusion at which a council homlessess assessment would also arrive. The former teacher said she sold jewellery handed down from her grandma to pay for accommodation, proceeds from which she is currently living off. She now has nowhere left to turn. She said she feels she has been treated with "zero concern or empathy by those who are employed to care". She said the moment she was left with her bags was "one of the most traumatic experiences of my life". She added: "The whole system needs replacing. I am not an addict, I had a career and a house. "I am actually so resourceful and so if I can end up homeless on the streets, anyone can. Andy Burnham said he wants to eliminate rough sleeping, well they need to revamp the whole system. It needs to be connected and coherent and easily accessible - because when you are in survival mode this is just impossible. "I think these forms they make you fill in were made by intellectuals who have never been in a situation of high stress like this." Sofia said she is nonetheless determined to stay in Liverpool and commended kind strangers who she says want her "to stay here and be part of Liverpool". She is now trying to crowdfund money for accommodation, while raising awareness of her music, which she creates under the moniker Rubberband$. A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said they were not able to comment on Sofia's case, but advised people who may find themselves in a similar situation to seek help with the council that is most likely to owe them. They said: “The Council cannot comment on individual cases. However, when considering a homelessness application, the Council must apply the relevant statutory tests, including eligibility for assistance, homelessness, priority need, local connection and intentionality. "The outcome of these assessments determines what duties, if any, a local authority owes to an applicant. Anyone seeking homelessness assistance is advised to approach the local authority that is most likely to owe the relevant accommodation duty, rather than travelling to another area where that duty may not apply. "Each application must, however, be considered on its individual circumstances and in accordance with the Council’s statutory responsibilities. “Where an individual is choosing to relocate to another area, it is advisable to ensure that settled accommodation is available before taking steps to relocate. This can help reduce the risk of becoming homeless in an area where there may be no longer-term accommodation duty owed by that local authority. “Under homelessness legislation, voluntarily giving up or abandoning accommodation would be advised against. Where a person deliberately leaves accommodation that was available to them and which it would have been reasonable for them to continue to occupy, this may affect the homelessness duties subsequently owed by a local authority. "This is not an automatic conclusion: the Council must make appropriate enquiries and consider the individual circumstances of each application before reaching a decision. “The Council will continue to provide advice and assistance in accordance with its statutory homelessness duties.” A spokesperson for The Whitechapel Centre said: "Sofia Cox attended for an appointment at our assessment centre on 30th September, following telephone contact with our Outreach Team. "Our centre is a busy environment but we work hard to make it a safe environment for everyone who is waiting to be seen. "Almost 70% of clients accessing our services are male. Had we known Ms Cox found difficulties with this environment, we would have looked for an alternative room and space. Our Housing Advisor met Sofia and completed an assessment to establish her housing related support needs. "We advised Sofia of the steps through homeless services, including referral to LCC’s Housing Solutions Service for a Homeless Assessment and the process that would follow. "Through our assessment we foresaw potential issues relating to local connection and advised Sofia of this. We completed a Duty to Refer to Liverpool City Council’s (LCC) Housing Solutions."