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I never thought I'd be a victim of REPOSSESSION; Sarah Sutton was a successful accountant, with a partner, a daughter and a beautiful family home. But then, in a matter of months, she found herself pregnant, unemployed, single and homeless. Here she tells Ruth Tierney how her world fell apart.

Article Excerpt
Istood on the driveway with my baby in my arms and my teenage daughter at my side. Around our feet were a few bags stuffed with photographs, clothes and essentials we'd need over the coming weeks. I could see curtains twitching in the surrounding houses of our well-to-do street.

As I turned back to look at the three-bedroom new-build I'd been so proud to own, I asked myself for the hundredth time how this could be happening to me. I'm a trained accountant, I had a job that paid [pounds sterling]35,000 a year, a nice car and a detached house. I'd waited years for my second child, just to be sure of the decent upbringing I could provide. How ironic, then, that as soon as Joseph was born, the life I'd spent so long building crumbled in a matter of months.

Almost a year on, I still lie awake at night going over events. I'd had my first child Hannah when I was just 21 and at university. I'd had to work doubly hard to qualify as an accountant, fitting studies and training around the demands of a new baby. My partner looked after Hannah while I pursued a career. We scrimped and saved, never having holidays or evenings out, and living in rented accommodation. By the time I reached my early 30s I felt as if I'd made it. I was bringing home over [pounds sterling]2,000 a month after tax, and we were able to buy our first house. It was my pride and joy.

I was paying [pounds sterling]900 a month for the 95 per cent mortgage with my building society, but that was a manageable amount based on my earnings. I paid [pounds sterling]75 into a mortgage-protection scheme each month too,...

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