A FORMER businessman is preparing for life on the streets after being told that he will be evicted from his house next month.

Joseph Campbell, aged 53, has lived at a Bolton at Home property in Varley Street, Daubhill, for the past 12 years but is being evicted after building up £1,900 in rent arrears.

But the father-of-three said his debts built up because of issues with the benefits system as well as personal problems including the death of his newborn baby last year.

The housing association said Mr Campbell has refused to engage with them to help bring down his arrears and they have been left with “no choice” than to start eviction proceedings.

Mr Campbell has been told he will have to leave the property on April 12 and says he will be left homeless.

He said: “My partner and our three children live in Farnworth but there is no space there so I will be living on the streets — I have nowhere else to go.”

Mr Campbell previously ran a printing business based in Washington Street which went under in 2013.

He was initially in receipt of Jobseekers' Allowance but said problems with the transfer to the new Universal Credit system left him in debt.

He said: “There were big problems with the payment system and I didn’t receive any benefits for six months and they weren’t backdated, so I built up a lot of arrears.

“I have sold everything to try and make up the payments including my laptop and my phone — my van also got towed away.

“But there has been no money in the pot for some time. I have been living on £6 per day — it has been absolutely horrendous — I have had to choose between eating or heating.

“I feel I have been treated very badly by Bolton at Home, they have stuck so strictly to the rules and have not made any allowances for my situation — it is not that I am not choosing to pay, I don’t have any money.”

He said his situation deteriorated further in October last year when he and his partner received the tragic news that their fourth child was stillborn.

He added: “It was absolutely horrendous and we told Bolton at Home what had happened and how it had affected us, but it didn’t seem to make any difference.”

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A spokesman for Bolton at Home said support had been offered to the 53-year-old but he had not accepted.

He added: “We’ve offered Mr Campbell support to help him reduce his rent arrears, including help from our Debt and Money Advice Team.

“Despite our offers we’ve been unable to persuade Mr Campbell to engage with us. Due to his continuing level of arrears we’ve been left with no choice but to start eviction proceedings, which is standard procedure in these circumstances.

“Even though eviction proceedings are underway, we remain open to working with Mr Campbell to help him reduce the arrears and keep his tenancy.”