At the age of 33, I was a single working parent with four small children. My wife had left and had no intention of returning to me or her children. Not one to shy away from my responsibilities I set out to do the best that I could in the circumstances. The journey was emotionally and psychologically challenging for all of us - at one point the boys'' therapist suggested that their emotions would be more easily dealt with if their mother had died. Unable to cope I asked for the children to be taken into social services care - I got them ready and they played in a room totally oblivious to my plans for them. But, as fate would have it my request for them to be `placed'' together was not granted. I gathered my children together and together we continued on our journey - into the storm. I was raised to believe that a man provided for his family, however when one is suddenly a sole carer of four children this belief is shaken. Despite this my boys'' and I struggled on. Life wasn''t easy. There were many challenges - the biggest was being a parent. How could I provide a happy and stable home and how would I deal with their and my emotional well-being? If I am honest I didn''t know then but believe that I am a lot clearer now. The system that threw me and my sons a lifeline is now so corrupted. I am a pensioner who owns a house which until very recently was let to a single mother and her children - I am now being forced to sell my property to pay in excess of 20,000 compensation plus 20,000 legal fees to this single mother, who ironically is in receipt of benefits!