Hayden became the face of Australian poverty when his family opened their home to an ABC Four Corners crew 11 years ago. This is his life today – and it will break your heart

EXCLUSIVE

A family from a residential area on the western edge of the city in Sydney are still living in grinding poverty 11 years after they were featured in a documentary about their lives.

Little has changed for the Burns family, who opened their home to ABC cameras for a Four Corners program titled Growing up poor in 2012.

Today, Brett and Caroline Burns still live in social housing in the suburb of Claymore, 54km south-west of the CBD and known for its high unemployment and crime rates.

At the time of filming, the Burns family had lived in their dilapidated mansion for 13 years. This year marks 24 years since they called Claymore, known as a “welfare ghetto,” home.

Caroline apologized as she welcomed Daily Mail Australia into her home. ‘Apologies for the mess. We are still waiting for new housing,” she said.

Hayden Burns was 14 years old when he spoke to Four Corners about his problems at home

At the time the documentary was filmed, he was struggling with bullying at school, and his parents’ constant arguments caused him to withdraw from the family.

Hayden Burns (pictured on December 12) spends his days scouring neighborhood bins for empty bottles and cans that he then exchanges for a 10 cent refund

Kerry O’Brien introduced the Four Corners special ‘Growing Up Poor’ in 2012

Like many other families in Claymore, Centrelink is the Burns’ source of income, while Caroline and Brett are not working.

The cycle of poverty and unemployment has continued for the couple’s eldest son, Hayden, 25, who still lives at home with his parents and sister Haylie, 14.

Hayden spends his days scouring neighborhood trash cans for empty bottles and cans that he then exchanges for a 10-cent refund.

At the time the documentary was filmed, Hayden, then 14, was struggling with bullying at school, and his parents’ constant arguments caused him to withdraw from the family.

During the program, Brett moved into the garage due to his arguments with Caroline. It was later revealed that Brett had physically abused her in front of the children.

Today the couple continue their fraught relationship, but Caroline believes their overall circumstances have improved and is looking forward to settling into a new cafe provided by the NSW Government under a ‘social re-engineering project’ .

“The area is a lot better than it was back then,” she said.

The Burns family has lived in the Claymore home for 24 years and is awaiting relocation

Brett and Caroline Burns are pictured with their middle daughter Jessica and her newborn baby

Abandoned houses in Claymore are depicted

The Claymore housing estate was built by the NSW government in the 1970s and is home to more than 3,000 of the state’s poorest families.

Forty years later, Claymore remains a depressing sight with many burned and abandoned homes and trash in the community.

But Claymore, along with neighboring Bonnyrigg Heights and Airds, is set to undergo a transformation as part of the big social project.

“It is in the fifth phase of an eight-phase redevelopment,” Campbelltown MP Greg Warren said.

“Building materials and the pandemic have delayed construction. At this stage it is unknown when the project will be completed.”

Under the new project, the redevelopment will include a mix of new public and private housing.

Claymore remains a ‘welfare ghetto’, with much of the community littered with rubbish and empty houses damaged and set on fire

Mum-of-three Kaisey, who has called Claymore home for 20 years, says the area is safer since people have been resettled

Claymore, as well as nearby Bonnyrigg Heights and Airds, will see a mix of new public and private housing (above)

Kaisey, 29, a long-time resident of the area, says the area is a lot safer since residents have been slowly resettled.

“I used to live on Ramsay Way but our house was set on fire,” the mother-of-three said.

‘It’s all changing now that they’re tearing everything down – it looks rough, but it’s safe. I love Claymore.’