TRACY HAILWOOD HAS SPOKEN ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES SHE HAS FACED AFTER NOT WORKING FOR OVER 30 YEARS TO LOOK AFTER HER DAUGHTER STACEY FULL-TIME. 08:05, 02 Jun 2025 A grieving mum has told of

her ordeal after she says she was told by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to just "get a job" following the death of her daughter. Tracy Hailwood, 54, spent 33 years

caring for her severely disabled daughter Stacey, who passed away in 2023. After her carer's allowance was stopped, she was told her only option was to sign on and look for a job. She

has since criticised the system, and attempted to explain to the DWP she has no qualifications or work history, and now faces homelessness. The DWP has responded to her situation saying it

just have to sign straight on and start looking for a job’. Article continues below “I’ve been a full-time carer for more than 33 years with my daughter, I haven’t got any work history and

it’s made me feel like I’m going a bit crazy. “I’m sitting in a house I’m having to sell because I can’t afford to live here. I’m angry, you do all that caring for years because it’s your

child, but you’re also saving the NHS thousands of pounds by doing it. “I can’t afford to do anything until the house is sold and I get the money from that. That means I’m going to be

homeless for a while.” Tracy says she had no qualifications when she had Stacey at 19 years old. When she was just a few months old, Stacey was treated in hospital for croup, where she

suffered a cardiac arrest and brain damage. It caused her to develop spastic quadriplegia and epilepsy, and she was left blind due to the brain damage. Tracy said they spent years taking

legal action, eventually receiving a medical negligence settlement. She explained: “Over the years, she needed constant surgery. She ended up with a gastrostomy and a tracheostomy. She had

the capability of a three-month old baby. She was a perfectly healthy baby before that. “I was only 19-years-old at the time, she was my first-born, it was a hard struggle coming to terms

with everything and trying to cope the best I could. I basically had to start from scratch again and learn how to deal with her needs.” A decade later, in 1998, she finally received a letter

from the hospital, admitting her daughter's care was "inadequate" and the tragedy should never have happened. By this point, Tracy had given birth to two more children, a son

and another daughter. She used some of the compensation money to buy a bungalow more appropriate for Stacey's needs. The family received a carer's allowance for Tracy, as well as

Stacey's personal independence payments (PIP) and employment and support allowance (ESA). Tracy says she received just 30 hours a week of professional care support. She said: “I wasn’t

just Stacey’s mother and carer, I was her personal assistant. I did all the gastrostomy and tracheostomy changes, I trained up support workers for the 30 hours a week from continuing care.

“The medical negligence money was in Stacey’s bank account and, when she became an adult, the bungalow went into her name. I made sure I kept on top of all the accounts.” JOIN THE DAILY

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the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Stacey’s health started worsening around five years ago, and she

tragically died in 2023. Tracy added: “I knew she could go at any time. I cared for her right to the end. “Towards the end, Stacey was almost completely bedridden, she was constantly ill. I

had to keep cancelling any respite for me because she was so unwell. “It’s only now that I’ve started to come to terms with the fact she’s gone. It’s only now that I’m able to talk about her

and smile about some things.” However, her death was only the beginning of her mum's next battle: “I thought I’d been through my struggles in life – fighting a court case, fighting to

get my daughter education. It wasn’t until after she passed away that I knew what a fight was.” Tracy's carer's allowance was cut off, and she says the DWP instructed her to

"sign on and get a job". She has so far sustained herself with some ESA, PIP and jobseeker's allowance, but says she is hampered by spending her life until now not working and

caring for her eldest daughter full-time. She explained: “I did everything for Stacey for 33 years so I have no work history. But another problem with being told to just ‘get a job’ is that

before she was born, I didn’t have any qualifications anyway. “I was a single parent, I didn’t even have the backup of a partner. I eventually managed to put myself through college and got

an NVQ, but even that was 2005 – that’s 20 years ago. How am I meant to get a job with no qualifications? “And making matters worse, I have severe back problems, my hip has gone, all from

carrying Stacey up and down the stairs when we lived in a house. I’m not able to leave the house unless it’s for hospital appointments, all my shopping is delivered. “When a spouse passes

away you get bereavement payments, with a child you don’t. It’s just ‘sign on, look for a job’.” Tracy says she now cannot afford to keep her family home running, and has been forced to give

it up. She said: “The bungalow has been sold, I’m waiting for a completion date. I just can’t afford the running costs. “I can’t afford to do anything until the house is sold and I get the

money from that. That means I’m going to be homeless for a while. “I’m going to have to stay with either my son or daughter, or my sister in Liverpool. I’ll just have to sofa surf for a bit

which isn’t going to help my back. All I can do is wait for the process to go through.” A spokesperson for the DWP said: “Our sincerest condolences are with Ms Hailwood. Our aim is always to

provide the best possible support to those who need it, which is why we pay Carer’s Allowance for several weeks after someone’s caring role ends.” Explaining the impact her ordeal has had

on her, Tracy added “My mental health has deteriorated so badly. I’ve thought about taking my own life. Article continues below “I really want to raise awareness for families going through

the same thing right now because all your benefits really do just stop when the person you’re caring for dies. “I just didn’t realise there was very little support for carers of disabled

adult children once they pass away. You’re just abandoned really.”