A family of seven living in a three-bedroom council house have applied for a larger home. Ewelina Ciuruk said the living conditions in her property in Meir, Stoke on Trent have become too cramped after she adopted her sister’s three children in addition to having three children.

The unemployed mum of six currently sleeps in the living room with her youngest son, while the other children share the bedrooms upstairs, and they all share one bathroom. She said she had to leave her eight-year career at Fuchs Lubricants due to the stress and anxiety of juggling childcare alone alongside work. However, she said differing UK and Polish laws mean she is “losing out” on Universal Credit.

The mum explained that in the UK she cannot be recognised as the foster parent of her three adopted children while being their legal guardian, but in Poland, she would be recognised as both, “so there is a conflict there – one which means I’m losing out.”

She has been looking after the family on her own since last year, when her husband returned to their homeland in Poland.

The 35-year-old said nobody had contacted her regarding her application for a bigger house, despite sending emails asking for updates.

“My children are doing OK but they do complain that they need more space. The rooms are small so sharing them is tough,” she told Stoke on Trent Live.

She added: “Social services came around the house and acknowledged that I’ve got a lot on with six children to look after. They said there’s no chance I can go to work because I’ll often be getting called from the school asking me to collect the kids or what have you. Employers don’t really want to take me on either because they can’t offer the flexibility I need.”

Ms Ciuruk has also launched a GoFundMe for a new car, hoping to raise between £5,000 and £10,000 to “buy a safe, reliable 9-seater vehicle that will fit our family and serve us in daily life.”

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is aware of the situation and said it will reach out to support Ewelina, while acknowledging a “critical shortage of available larger homes”.

A spokesperson said: “The decision to place the children was under the jurisdiction of Poland, who directed the assessment. The city council completed a viability assessment which ruled that it was acceptable for the children to live with the resident. The city council is not legally able to grant fostering status in these circumstances as the decision was made outside of the UK.

“We will be reaching out to the family to consider whether there is any additional support required and will work with them to maximise their income and ensure that they are claiming everything they are entitled to.

“The resident does hold an active application on the housing register in the highest banding and an officer will make contact to provide advice and assistance with their housing options across all housing tenures.

“There is, however, a critical shortage of available larger homes which means families like this will often be waiting for some time to be assisted if they are looking to be accommodated in social housing.”