To call the police

[neighbourhoodwoes]

Ok have NC so my other posts aren't linked.

We live in a flat. It is a house split into two flats but we share a main front door and letter box. Our neighbour is a single man who has mental health problems (I know this because he has told me)

On several occasions over the past few years the police have come for a welfare check because he has not turned up to his counsellor sessions.
On those occasions he has been with family. In the past he has been gone up to a month but always returned.

So in March he went again and I did not worry too much. The police have not visited so I presumed he was still going to the counsellor this time however there are letters from his family arriving (I know it is family as they write on the outside of the envelope) which says they hope to see him next time making it seem like he has not turned up.

There is mail behind the door post marked from before March the 20th and now it is clear he is not with his family I am worried. The electricity is on meter so he has not had electric for some weeks as I can see.

I was going to call the landlord but he doesn't work and gets benefits so I don't want to stir a whole load of shit up for him in that respect if he is claiming benefits for a property he is not living in.

But given his mental health issues I don't want to just leave it.

I'd call the police if I were you. Please don't open his mail, it is a criminal offence to do so and whilst you probably wouldn't get into trouble, it is a step you don't need to take when the police could do their own investigations. It is better to react earlier than later because if anything has happened to him, the family will be grateful it wasn't left any longer. I speak from personal experience in that respect and one of the comforting things in our family's loss is that we know the body wasn't there for too long.

Ok they are going to do a welfare check.

Goingtobeawesome the only reason I was worrying about that is because he is entirely benefits reliant and I don't want to plunge someone with MH difficulties into a situation of having no money.

I misunderstood, sorry, I thought it was the landlord claiming benefits he wasn't entitled too but welfare still needs to come first.

Glad the police are checking. I hope he's okay.

Glad you called 101.. hope he is ok x

Glad you called op, I hope he is ok.

Oh I do hope he's OK. What a worry, poor chap

He's lucky to have you as a neighbour, op.

Just to update he is ok. The police must have had contact for him as he turned up shortly afterwards.

Oh good. What a relief for you

Good lass. Let us know what happens. He's lucky to have a neighbour who has noticed x

I called 101 because we hadn't seen my NDN for a while. We've only been in our house for a few months so didn't know him that well. Police turned up, broke down the door and there he was, dead. I felt dreadful .

God that's dreadful doin

It was a real shock. The letting agent had called round a few weeks earlier and knocked in my door asking if I'd seen him as he wasn't answering his phone . I called them a week later to ask if they'd found him and was told he's gone in an extended holiday, so I thought no more about it. It was only when a friend of his knocked asking if I'd seen him that I said I'd call 101. He's been in there for at least a month poor chap.

I'd always check up on someone now - better safe than sorry .

Welfare call on 101. Did the same for a neighbour, she'd had a stroke, glad we got them round.