A jobless mother-of-11 who made headlines after it emerged she was getting a newly built “mansion” provided by a council said she “would love to go out and work”.
Heather Frost (36), who has not worked for years, said she had intended to set up her own business but fell ill with cancer two years ago.
News that the grandmother is to move from her current home in Churchdown, near Gloucester, to a purpose-built six-bedroom house in Tewkesbury has sparked fury.
Ms Frost also hit back at claims that she uses her state benefits to pay for a horse, which is stabled near her home saying it was her teenage daughter’s pet and she met all the bills.
The grandmother-of-two, who first fell pregnant at 14, said she “understood” why other people who go out to work might be angry that her large family is supported by the taxpayer.
“I’d love to go out and work,” she told ITV Daybreak. “I took a business plan two years ago, I think it was, to try and open my own shop and do my own business but I fell ill.
“I’d love to come off benefits and support my children myself but there is help out there to help families.”
Councillor Derek Davies, lead member for built environment at Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “We have a duty to provide appropriate accommodation to people who are at risk of homelessness.
“Ms Frost’s family has been living in temporary accommodation, consisting of two houses, for a very long time because there have been no other suitable properties available.”
He added: “By providing this larger affordable property, the two houses currently occupied by the family will be available for other families in need.”