Former teacher Sofia Cox claims she was left sleeping rough on the streets of Liverpool after local services treated her with "zero empathy". Cox spent a decade teaching in Dubai following a career in English secondary schools.
The Dorset-born 59-year-old was forced to flee back to the UK earlier this year after conflict broke out in the Middle East and a violent incident unfolded at her school. After initially settling in Northamptonshire, she claims she fell victim to financial exploitation before having her housing allowance wiped out.
Fresh start in Liverpool turns into nightmare
Hoping for a fresh start, she moved to Liverpool in September after a trusted family friend recommended the city as the ideal hub to launch her dream Artificial Intelligence (AI) music start-up. However, disaster struck the moment she arrived. Sofia claims her housing benefits were abruptly cancelled based on the date she left her previous address, leaving her stranded without a single penny for a place to stay.
Sofia told the Liverpool Echo: "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."
Appeals to family and charity
Realising she was now in a new city with no money, Sofia was forced to appeal to family and friends on her birthday in September in order to pay for a short period in an Airbnb property in the city. At this point she also began applying to Liverpool City Council for housing help.
But when that money ran out, she said she had no option but to walk into the Whitechapel Centre, Liverpool's principal homelessness charity, and register there. She was subsequently given an appointment with the same charity the next day.
She said: "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."
Night on the streets
By this point she was exhausted, stressed and distraught. She went back to the Whitechapel centre crying and was told to wait in a room full of men. She said there was no separate waiting room for women and that a man high on drugs was in there.
Sofia said she was told to leave the charity and call the same helpline numbers she had already called. She said a staff member told her there were two possible placements for her and that she would call back shortly - but she never did.
As the hours ticked by, Sofia said she continued to call the number from Liverpool Central Library where she had holed up for the day. She added: "I rang the Whitechapel centre again. By this point it was dark and I was scared. I had specifically said I was afraid to be out alone with all my luggage at night."
"They said someone would come out and assess me but gave no time frame. The library closed at 8pm so I was out on the street with my luggage."
Eventually around 8.30pm, Sofia said she was visited by two staff members from the Whitechapel's outreach team who asked her more questions about her circumstances. She claims after the discussion the men went to their car, came back and said they couldn't help her.
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."
Disputed account and response
This account is disputed by The Whitechapel Centre who said the outreach team that visited Sofia offered her a stay in their night assessment hub on the provision that she would be funded to travel out of the city the following day, but that she refused this offer. For her part, Sofia said she has nowhere else to be "reconnected" to.
The Whitechapel Centre also said that when assessing Sofia earlier they advised her of potential issues due to her lack of local connection to Liverpool. A council homelessness assessment would come to the same conclusion.
In a last desperate attempt to stay off the city streets, Sofia sold jewellery given to her from her grandmother to pay for accommodation. But she says that when that runs out she has nowhere left to turn.
She said she felt she had been treated with "zero concern or empathy by those who are employed to care", labelling that moment in Liverpool where she was left with her bags as "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."
Despite her difficult experiences, Sofia said she is determined to stay in Liverpool and has been heartened by the kindness of Scousers.
Responding to her claims, a Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: "We can't comment on individual cases but government legislation requires us to assess applications against a number of criteria, including their links to the local area."
"People are advised not to travel to another place they have no substantial links with, and voluntarily giving up or abandoning accommodation is also advised against. We'll always provide additional advice and guidance where necessary even if we do not have a duty to accommodate."
A spokesperson for The Whitechapel Centre confirmed Sofia Cox attended an assessment on September 30. They noted that while nearly 70 per cent of service users are male, staff would have provided a private space had she voiced discomfort, adding that outreach workers later offered overnight shelter.
However, after receiving a call during her assessment regarding Liverpool City Council's local connection rules, "Sofia was unhappy with the call and immediately left our premises."
The spokesperson added: "Sofia refused reconnection. She advised she had an AirBandB for the night. We have not had further contact with Sofia."
