My kids had to sleep on the floor when I escaped my abusive ex – the gift of a bed has changed our lives

Two years ago, Suzie* had been facing an impossible decision. Stay with her abusive partner and face a life of violence, or flee the family home with her five children and face the possibility of poverty and homelessness.

With support from a domestic abuse charity, they escaped with very few possessions and were placed in a refuge, before dealing with the daunting prospect of securing a flat and finding the money for furniture.

“As I have five kids, we were massively, massively hit by the benefits cap,” she told “We didn’t have gas a lot of the time and we haven’t had