A SERIOUSLY ill mum trapped in an overcrowded house with her disabled son and her four other children is desperately appealing for help to escape their misery.

Jennifer Woodman and her husband John told how their hopes of moving to a dream home fell through at the last minute - after bosses from River Clyde Homes pulled the plug.

They have been living in 'temporary' accommodation for nearly two years and were plunged into poverty to pay off their rent arrears.

Her 13-year-old son Barry has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair while Jennifer herself suffers from a rare condition which causes inflammation in all her major organs.

The family have endured 18 months of anguish and were forced to turn to foodbanks TEN times to help pay off debts.

Jennifer, 31, of Burns Road in Greenock, said: "The housing people had a meeting in our house.

"They told me a house in William Street which was to be adapted, our forever house, was not going to happen and they pulled the plug.

"I just had to walk out, I was in floods of tears

"We had to clear our rent arrears to get a move.

"We couldn't even afford food, have gone hungry and used foodbanks at least ten times.

"My son had holes in his trainers."

The family's problems first started when Jennifer ran into problems with a private landlord in Inverkip and they ended her tenancy.

River Clyde Homes found them temporary accommodation in Burns Road.

Severely disabled Barry, 13, has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair but because the house is only a stop gap it cannot be fully adapted so the teenager is confined to the downstairs.

Jennifer suffers from a rare form of sarcoidosis and fibromyalgia and as a result she endures terrible pain and blinding fits which leave her unable to get out of bed for long spells.

She added: "Sometimes when I have flare ups I am unable to come out of bed and Barry can't come upstairs, so I can't see him for weeks.

"We don't even have a living room because it is my son Barry's bedroom."

Jennifer also suffers from severe depression and anxiety.

She stays in the three bedroom home with husband John, 25, her sons Barry, 13, James, 10, who is being tested for autism, Logan, nine, who has ADHD and Andrew, six.

Jennifer and John also have youngest daughter Ivory-Jane, two, while John has three children, Tia, eight, John, four, and Oliver, three.

He said: "We had a problem with Universal Credit and ended up in £1,800 rent arrears.

"We had to put things on a credit card and had to clear the rent arrears to get to move and we did that.

"My children are can't come to stay here because it is too crowded - I only see them once a week.

"They used to live with us all the time."

The family were told that there was funding in place to adapt a house in William Street.

Jennifer added: "The house was going to be new start.

"They had told Barry to pick out the floor for his Harry Potter themed room and everything.

"Barry has real difficulties at school, he is bullied and was so looking forward to this.

"The kids were so excited and then we were told it wasn't going to happen.

"They have made some adaptations to our house but because it is temporary they can't do any more."

The family had even been shown drawings of the house in William Street and told that funding had been made available to help.

Then River Clyde Homes told them it was not a feasible option.

The family would like to thank Barnardo's, Inverclyde Carers' Centre and local charity Children in Poverty Inverclyde for all their support.

River Clyde Homes service improvement manager Stevie McLachlan said: “Staff at River Clyde Homes have been working closely with the Woodmans to resolve their housing situation over a long period.

"A property at William Street was identified as a possible option for conversion.

"However, following design and procurement work this option has, unfortunately, become unviable.

"We understand that this is very disappointing and we are actively looking at a number of alternative options that could meet their needs.

"We will continue to work closely with the family and our partners to identify a suitable property that they can call home.”