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Original poster

the woman that killed herself over the bedroom tax

164 replies

marjproops · 12/05/2013 19:58

terrible story.

one of the politicians saying on the news she must have had other probs to have done this?

another government excuse to fob off what theyve done?

womans son said she was fine before BT came into fruition. he said its the people in big offices and big houses that have done this, and she said in her suicide note its their fault.

Im really struggling too with this BT , Im sure lots of people are, someone on the news said its not fair especially on the disabled who've had adaptations made, (we're in that category).

so....another fob off by the government, or do you think theyll stop this anytime soon?

OP posts:
Cloverer · 12/05/2013 22:42

Most people can't move though Louise.

mummy2my2princesses · 12/05/2013 22:48

hi my aunties the same they say if it has a window then its a bedroom but if no window then you can argue the fact that its only a cupboard.hope you get it sorted.

Mimishimi · 12/05/2013 22:48

We don't live in the UK. Does the bedroom tax apply to all properties or just those in the council housing system? It seems to make sense to tax people for bedrooms they are not using if they are availing of public housing. Those houses could shelter larger families. Can they not take in other singles waiting for council housing?

edam · 12/05/2013 22:49

Twenty pounds a week may as well be a thousand pounds a week if you haven't got it. 20 X 52= £1,040 a year. That's a significant amount of money. It was clearly impossible for her to find it, otherwise she wouldn't have killed herself.

likeitorlumpit · 12/05/2013 23:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WafflyVersatile · 12/05/2013 23:07

What would make sense would be building more council housing. There is not enough, no matter how much you shuffle people around like cattle.

quesadilla · 12/05/2013 23:15

What cloudsandtrees said. I agree with the general sentiment that this government seems to leave no stone unturned in its quest to humiliate and brutalise the poor and vulnerable but this is melodramatic. No one kills themself purely over a change to their benefit allowance. It may have been the final straw but much as I dislike this government it's a bit much to lay this at their door.

JessicaBeatriceFletcher · 12/05/2013 23:21

Please read the full story (or at least what Holly) wrote a few posts earlier. This is a very sad story but you can't lay it at the Govt's door (and I'm no lover of this Govt)

C999875 · 12/05/2013 23:30

My goodness me likeitorlumpit. I am not here to make enemies but I do honestly think your comment on this subject is way out of line. Yes we all have problems and some of us can just get on with it but we all have different coping mecanisms.
Changing the subject here but all those poor children who have took their own lives over bullying do they have themselves to blame? absolutly not. Please think about the people that you are hurting when writing such narrow minded comments. Like I said there is only so much pressure that can put on a person. I really think upsetting views on such a delicate subject are best left to ones self. I cannot believe that a parent can be so insensitive.
Suicide isn't selfish it can seem like the only way out for some people. No body ever wants to ill themselves they just want the pain and hurt to go away. Why not try opening your heart and being a bit more sympathetic. I promise it will not hurt. x

WafflyVersatile · 12/05/2013 23:32

This story?

''She was visited by officials, who told her she would be charged for any repairs to her property.

That would whittle away the £2,000 she had been offered by the council to move home. It meant Stephanie had to strip wallpaper and lift carpets herself. She also had to mend her back fence.

And they failed to find a suitable property for her ? the bungalow they offered was a 30-minute walk from a bus stop and miles from her family and friends.

So Stephanie was trapped in a house she couldn?t afford.''

alreadytaken · 12/05/2013 23:35

I read what Holly wrote "If the whole story were read rather than headlines you'd see she had a debilitating illness plus the council had offered to rehouse her but she didn't like the location, and given her £2K to move properties, but she spent it.

much more at play than the headlines suggest."

She had a debilitating illness that she was coping with until the benefit changes. The council had offered her one property miles from her family and friends. She had to spend the money given her to relocate on repairs to the property she was in. Indeed more than the headlines suggest - but she was coping with her illness until faced with moving away from everything that made life bearable. I have read of other people killing themselves because of the benefit changes, there will be more. If you don't kill yourself you can starve, as far as the government are concerned.

MichelleRooJnr · 12/05/2013 23:36

likeitorlumpit that's one of the most ignorant, ill-informed and uncompassionate posts I have ever read on this site.
You come across as - to be blunt - a rather stupid, at the very least thoughtless, person.

squeakytoy · 12/05/2013 23:38

"It meant Stephanie had to strip wallpaper and lift carpets herself. She also had to mend her back fence."

Where were the son and daughter? Why did they not help with this?

There is a lot more to this story than the sensationalist headlines.

PeneloPeePitstop · 12/05/2013 23:39

I'm sure our esteemed leaders will consider it one less parasite feeding off the taxpayer.

Just getting that in before some right wing twat does.

Personally I'm saddened deeply and wish it hadn't come to this. Over 11,000 people have died since ATOS began 'fit for work' assessments.

Welfare Reform is killing people.

WafflyVersatile · 12/05/2013 23:41

This isn't welfare reform. This is welfare removal.

PeneloPeePitstop · 12/05/2013 23:45

Oh, and our BT 'contribution' was 'only' £31.25 a week.
From £58 careers allowance and £60 income support. That's significant. The rest of the money, as we're endlessly reminded, is for the kids. Misappropriation of that would be severely dealt with - yes we do get threatening letters to that effect.

That was until we were saved by the severely disabled child legislation. Many with adult disabled family members aren't so fortunate.

Royalmailer · 12/05/2013 23:50

The government wants to punish the poor.

The bedroom tax doesn't save enough money for it to be a financially driven decision. It's a matter of principle for them.

Therefore, a better way of pursuing this aim would be to incentivise swaps and downgrading. Same result, much less suffering.

But that's not what they did, is it. They want to make the poor suffer.

Wuldric · 12/05/2013 23:51

There is another thread on this

Of course there are other issues involved. The lady was offered alternative accommodation and a grant to move.

I hate the way this has become politicised. It is a family matter, not a political issue

I have never voted tory and I disapprove of this government's housing policy

Darkesteyes · 12/05/2013 23:52

Why are people saying its the paper politicising it when it CLEARLY STATED IN HER NOTE the reason why she killed herself. Are we really going to choose to disbelieve suicide notes to fit the "bash the poor" agenda now.
If it was a suicide note written by a woman who was suffering domestic abuse would you disbelieve it and blame her or blame the person abusing her. Would you say the paper reporting that was "using it to politicise womens issues" !!!
Believe me with the cuts to womens services i really hope we dont see things like this but unfortunately i think we will. And if "(God forbid) we do i bet people on the thread that may start on here afterwards WONT be gaslighting or trying to rewrite history. Because that only seems to happen on threads like this where benefits are involved!

Monty27 · 12/05/2013 23:55

Likeitorlumpit you sound very discompassionate. Your turn will come one day, it always does to those who cannot conceivably be in the real world.

Btw, you'll probably want to namechange by then.

Wuldric · 12/05/2013 23:57

Oh goodness, not again!

Firstly, to equate this governments ham-fisted attempts to reduce the budget deficit with domestic violence is grotesque and unfair.

She may well have said that the government was to blame, but she was clearly of unsound mind (as the Coroner will undoubtedly find).

When people are severely depressed they take things out of proportion. That's what happens. Highly regrettable.

squeakytoy · 12/05/2013 23:59

when my FIL committed suicide he had blamed it on his cars...

suicide is not rational..

Darkesteyes · 13/05/2013 00:10

I AM NOT equating it with DV I am simply saying that if benefits WERNT involved in this case quite a lot of people on this thread would be humming a different tune.

I am not being grotesque OR unfair. Im simply pointing out the gaslighting going on on these threads with regards to the suicide note and saying that this gaslighting wouldnt be happening if this case didnt involve benefits.
I just used DV as an analogy because CUTS ARE HAPPENING TO THOSE SERVICES TOO. And (God forbid) it wont lead to suicides there but i think it may well do Sad

Darkesteyes · 13/05/2013 00:14

Just posting this here to save Wuldric the bother as its what she said to me on the news board on the thread about the same subject and as shes waiting for a call....

WuldricMon 13-May-13 00:07:18

You are tired and irrational. Who has said anything about claiming benefits on this thread apart from you? What, you perceive a lack of empathy (not actually true, just a lack of willingness to blame the government) and you leap to the conclusion that this lack of empathy has arisen because the lady in question was on benefits? Nonsense.

Get to bed. It's late. I would myself but I am waiting for a call.

Darkesteyes · 13/05/2013 00:15

Note the ordering me around and telling me to get to bed. And after gaslighting too. Hmm