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Disabled man and brother win fight against council eviction after parents die from Covid

COMMUNITY campaigners in Lancashire are celebrating victory after a disabled man and his brother were told that they will not be evicted from their family home following the deaths of both their parents from Covid.

Sean Brogan, 34, and his brother Andrew, 32, live in their council-owned home in Skelmersdale.

Andrew has Asperger’s syndrome and cannot care for himself while Sean, a computer programmer, is his primary carer.

On March, 2020, their father died from Covid-19 and in November last year their mother died on the floor of their kitchen, also from the virus.

After the death of Ms Brogan, who was formally the tenant, West Lancashire Borough Council sent an eviction notice to the brothers, with a Boxing Day deadline.

The house has been the family home for more than 60 years while Andrew has lived there all his life with his mother as his carer, and his husky dog Micha.

The council said the brothers had no “right of succession” to the tenancy held by their mother, and said that the three-bedroom house was large enough for a bigger family.

A campaign against the eviction won support from organisations including Disabled People Against Cuts.

Sean said that thanks to the campaign “we can again sleep soundly in our beds at night without the mental terror of eviction hanging over us and my brother Andrew can walk his dog in peace.”

West Lancashire Borough Council said: “West Lancashire Borough Council’s tenancy services team have been working closely with Mr Brogan and his family for some time to find a solution to his housing situation. 

“We have reviewed the decision and are in contact with the family.”

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