"I FEEL as though I'm being penalised for having a daughter who has learning difficulties," said June Sheehy, as she wiped away a tear from her eye.

The 64-year-old grandmother from Honeysuckle Road, Swaythling, has been told she can move into a pensioner's one-bedroom flat following the sad break-up of her marriage after 28 years.

But if she does, her daughter Trish will have to go into care.

"I would rather die than let that happen. I have looked after Trish for 46 years. I am her carer and she needs my help every day.

"It's not Trish's fault that my marriage has come to an end but she is being penalised for it," she said.

The family home is due to be sold in a month's time and June will be left with some money but she needs that to survive in the future.

"I don't have a pension and all I do get is a carers allowance of £46 a week.

"I will get a lump sum from the sale but it's not enough to buy me anywhere and I can't get a mortgage because I am Trish's full time carer.

"I need that money to live on in the future and to decorate and furnish our new home," she said.

June has been told she must rent a flat in the private sector and use her nest egg money to pay the rent until she has only £6,000 left and then the council will pick up the tab.

"I have to tell them how much the rent will be and they have to agree it because eventually they will have to meet that cost.

"I can't understand why they are happy for me to spend all my savings and pick up the bill from there on in.

"But they won't let us live together in a council flat paying full rent and council tax," she said.

Each day June helps her daughter to live as normal a life as possible. Trish works part-time at McDonald's in Southampton and has just had a hip replacement operation.

"She does a few hours at McDonald's and really enjoys it. She has good road sense and goes out each morning to pick up the paper.

"Trish needs help washing and dressing - I bath her every day and I cook all her meals.

"We go everywhere together and she is a really good girl. She may be 46 years old but with her learning difficulties, she is a lot younger than that.

"I have never asked for help from social service until now and they have been happy to leave her to me because they know she is being cared for.

"It just doesn't seem right that when I do need help there is nobody there to do anything for us," she said.

Trish wakes at 7am and June helps her wash and dress. She makes her breakfast and then cleans the house.

The pair will then go shopping before returning for lunch at midday. Each afternoon at 3pm, June gives Trish a bath and then prepares and cooks the evening meal.

"Trish's room is immaculate, she likes to have order around her and she hates any sort of change.

"She isn't sleeping well at the moment because of the worry about what will happen - neither of us are.

"I just can't bear to be parted from her - I'm her mum and I should be allowed to care for her," she said.

In a statement, Southampton City Council said: "We try to prevent homelessness wherever possible and where people are genuinely homeless we do everything we can to help.

"It is inappropriate for us to comment on specific cases as this may pre-judge any future application. However, we can outline the criteria that applications will be measured against. They are: whether the applicant has a particular need which is a priority; are the applicants going to be homeless in the next 28 days; have the applicants made themselves homeless; and, do they have a clear connection to Southampton?

"When we receive applications for homelessness we must look carefully at individual circumstances, including the financial situation and the alternative accommodation that is available before making a decision."