Becky is a teaching assistant. Her partner is a civil servant. They live with their three children in a two-bedroom, privately rented home, paid for by Housing Benefit. Her two boys, aged four and seven, share a room, with no space to play. The two-year old sleeps in her parents’ room, but will soon need her own bed, at which point Becky and her partner will move into the living room. Becky says, “A full night’s sleep is impossible. If one’s awake, we’re all awake. This has a knock-on effect with the children’s education and our abilities to do our jobs. We can’t afford to move. Housing Benefit won’t cover the cost of a three-bedroom house around here. So we are on the waiting list for social housing, along with 2,500 other families.”