UK Survivor of Irish Mother and Baby Home Faces Benefits Penalty for Compensation
Rosemary Adaser, a 70-year-old resident of Ealing in west London, is among the tens of thousands of children who endured abuse in Ireland's mother and baby homes after being born out of wedlock. Separated from her twin brother at the age of six and sent to institutions in Dublin and Kilkenny, she now faces a cruel twist: if she accepts compensation from the Irish government's payment scheme, which opened in 2024, she risks losing at least £1,000 monthly in housing benefit.
Legal Loophole Creates Unfair Disparity
A legal loophole means that because the compensation originates from a foreign government, normal "capital disregard" provisions do not apply. This allows any payments to be treated as cash savings for means-testing benefits and social care in the UK. In stark contrast, her twin brother, Anthony Adaser, who still lives in Ireland, has received full compensation without any penalties. He describes the unfairness as "galling," arguing it robs his sister of the "peace of mind" his settlement has provided in retirement.
Rosemary Adaser expressed her frustration, stating, "This is just another institutional abuse. I raised my family without any recourse to benefits. Now, when I'm unable to work, the government's inaction is killing me off." She added that survivors are terrified to apply for compensation, fearing benefit cuts that could force them into institutionalisation again.
Government Promises and Delays
On 13 March, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the Westminster government would introduce "Philomena's law" to protect survivors from such penalties. However, with no legislative timetable and no interim protections in place, approximately 13,000 survivors remain at risk of losing benefits. Campaigners warn that elderly individuals are forced to fight individual battles with authorities, exacerbating their distress.
Adaser's lawyer, Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, emphasised the urgency, saying, "As well as taking steps to pass Philomena's law without delay, it's imperative the government takes immediate action to direct local authorities that during this interim period benefits should not be affected. How much longer are elderly, distressed survivors expected to wait?" The Department for Work and Pensions has stated it is "carefully considering" the situation.
A Life Marked by Trauma and Resilience
Born in an unmarried mother's home in Belfast to a Ghanaian doctor and an Irish hospital receptionist, Adaser and her brother were institutionalised in the stigmatising climate of 1950s Ireland. They were separated at six and reunited at twelve. Adaser faced relentless degradation, including abuse, neglect, and forced labour. She recalled, "I thought the N-word was a pet name, until an older girl slapped me across the face and said, 'Look up the meaning.'" She noted that while all children suffered, her skin colour made her more noticeable, preventing her from blending into Irish society like her peers.
At 16, after becoming pregnant, Adaser was sent to a mother and baby home where her son was taken from her, though they were later reunited in adulthood. She narrowly avoided being sent to a Magdalene laundry when a progressive Irish couple, Bryan and Mary Rothery, took her in and "saved" her life. Encouraged to leave Ireland due to colour bars in employment and housing, she moved to London in 1976. Reflecting on her time in the UK, she said, "I will always thank the British people. They took in thousands of defeated, battered girls and allowed us to make our lives here."
Now a retired housing director, Adaser seeks to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer to advocate for change, hoping to secure compensation without jeopardising her independence and well-being.
