A grieving daughter received a letter from a council ordering her to leave her mum’s house – just a month after she died.

Sally Sedgwick, 58, lived with and cared for dementia sufferer Maud in St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe for more than a decade.

But the part-time cleaner has not been given the right to succeed her mother as a tenant.

Instead, she was sent a “harsh” letter from Dover District Council (DDC), giving her just five weeks to move out of the three-bed property in Reach Close so a family can move in.

Miss Sedgwick told KentOnline that DDC is not providing her with proper help to secure alternative accommodation.

”The council said they are not obliged to find anywhere for me,” she said.

“I have nowhere to go, so I will stay until they kick me out or take me to court.

“I am upset that the council are being so harsh about it.”

Mrs Sedgwick died on August 4, aged 89, after suffering a heart attack.

The notice to quit the council property arrived on September 7, telling Miss Sedgwick to leave by October 8.

She originally moved into the St Margaret’s house as a child with her sisters Jane, Diane, and Dawn in December 1977.

At the time, their parents, Edward and Maud, were registered as the tenants.

Mr Sedgwick died in August 2003, aged 72, and his widow was allowed to continue there as a tenant.

Miss Sedgwick left the home with her sisters when they grew up – but returned there 12 years ago to care for her elderly mother.

However, DDC has confirmed there can only ever be one succession to a council tenancy and Miss Sedgwick will have to leave.

“I might have more chance if this was a one- or two-bed house but I am single and on my own and the council wants it for a family,” she said.

The DDC website says the average wait for a three-bed council house in the district is 28 months.

“All I want is just a roof over my head...”

KentOnline revealed last year that almost 20,000 people across the county are waiting to be rehomed.

In Dover, there were 1,969 people seeking new council properties, with an average wait of 14 months.

Miss Sedgwick says she needs to stay in St Margaret’s to continue her job as a part-time cleaner there.

She cannot afford to rent privately because she only earns £675 a month. The average cost of renting in the CT15 postcode is more than £1,500 a month, according to home.co.uk.

Miss Sedgwick says the council has only offered to put her on the homelessness register.

“Private renting is too expensive and there aren’t many council flats around here,” she added.

“All I want is just a roof over my head.”

The family had known Miss Sedgwick was at risk of losing her home and have been gradually clearing the house of furniture and possessions since August.

Elder sister Jane told KentOnline: “We have all been so busy with this we have not had time to grieve.

“Several of the rooms are already empty. We have had to sell possessions with memories of our family home.”

A DDC spokesperson said: “We do sympathise with the issues in this case, and we continue to work with the individual concerned to provide help and support.

“However, the council makes it clear to tenants that there can only ever be one succession to a council tenancy.

“In situations where the original tenancy was a joint tenancy and one of the original tenants dies, the surviving joint tenant will have taken over the tenancy by succession.

“When that person dies, nobody else can take over the tenancy by succession.”