To think there will be more cases like this one? Errol Graham, starved to death.

[BillHadersNewWife]

www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-51283186

Mr. Graham had his benefits stopped and despite having genuine problems was left alone to starve.

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/the-death-of-errol-graham-man-starved-to-death-after-dwp-wrongly-stopped-his-benefits/?fbclid=IwAR2eRG_-He70F0dQ9tlHzysRvoLijGdROWhM94pn58cmDPclIxTJgVwEwwg

It's absolutely sickening and worrying.

@BamboozledandBefuddled apology accepted and have some and I hope tomorrow is a better day.

Of course families should help each other but each situation is different.

The DWP don't give a rat's arse. It's one less to keep as far as they're concerned.
I don't know his families situation to judge their actions, or lack of, so I won't.
A man who I used to know had Huntington's. He was completely immobile from the neck down towards the end of his life. The DWP stopped his money for some spurious reason. It took 7 weeks to get it reinstated. But for his carers he would have rotted away in his bed.
Absolutely shocking that this is happening here in the UK to our most vunerable.
The DWP might as well round them all up and throw them all off a cliff for what compassion and common decency they display.
Terrible failure of our health and social care agencies. Shame on them.

you don't know that his family even knew
my family don't know how i am struggling
i am very good at putting on a public fake happy face
everything is wonderful as far as they know

@TigerOnATrain your personal attacks on Helena are unpleasant to read, please stop.

@Bunnybigears CAKE!!!!!! You have no idea how much I ❤️ you!!!

Everyone asking where the family were/why they didn't do more are missing the point entirely. The next person might not have any family or friends at all they could ask for help.

Yes,his family should have looked out for him - if they knew,if they could.But what if he had had no family? Are we happy to let people starve to death or kill themselves because they can't cope,have no money, and have no family,or their family don't care,and because they are in a fragile mental state they are unable to engage with the benefits system which sounds pretty gruelling even if you aren't mentally ill.
All this "the families should look after them" is just another way of saying somebody else should do it.We shouldn't have to care,we shouldn't have to think about,set up and pay for a system that supports vulnerable people - their families should do it.
It's all depressingly tribal and backward,it makes me ashamed of what the UK has become.

The coroner seems to have laid more blame on the GP than on a centralised benefits system in this instance as the practice had no robust procedures in place for flagging/responding to the fact that this man wasn’t engaging or attending appointments. He hadn’t seen his GP for 3-4 years.

However, much easier to blame the Tories.

Of course families should help each other but each situation is different

It is usually the case on here that families are told they have no obligation to the parents or other family members and really should just see they’re OK above everything else. If there is any hint of abuse, we are told no contact. And many people donn’t Understand that we don’t all have close family still living and even if we have willing family their ability to navigate the benefits system on behalf of someone else may well be limited or non existent.

Poor man.

It's shocking. Shocking that someone could stave to death through lack of resources in modern Britain, shocking that he didn't get the MH support he obviously needed, but I'm always a little skeptical of stories promoted by "heartbroken" family members in cases like these.

agreed ^^ElderAve

So he didn,t go for Pip assessments. ( or request a home one) So of course he wouldn,t get the benefit. He didn,t go to his GP, It sounds like he didn,t make use of the help that was there.

British compassion for those who are suffering has been replaced by a punitive, mean-spirited, and often callous approach apparently designed to instill discipline where it is least useful, to impose a rigid order on the lives of those least capable of coping with today’s world, and elevating the goal of enforcing blind compliance over a genuine concern to improve the well-being of those at the lowest levels of British society.

www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23881

june2007 because he was too unwell to engage!

Its genuinely awful.

But I am confused how this didnt happen under labour.

DLA was crap under them too (though less so) and if people didnt engage, they would also get their benefits cut.

'Yes,his family should have looked out for him - if they knew,if they could.But what if he had had no family? Are we happy to let people starve to death or kill themselves because they can't cope,have no money, and have no family,or their family don't care,and because they are in a fragile mental state they are unable to engage with the benefits system which sounds pretty gruelling even if you aren't mentally ill.'

Well, June says, yes we are.

The current govt have cut across support services as well as bringing in punitive welfare reforms, so the fact he was failed across the board all comes from the same place.

'So he didn,t go for Pip assessments. ( or request a home one) So of course he wouldn,t get the benefit. He didn,t go to his GP, It sounds like he didn,t make use of the help that was there.'

Reads as lazy/ stupid bastard only had himself to blame.

Good news is he's dead so won't need to feel bad about his personal failings.

Some people, Jesus .

I totally think that anyone unable to go out and get help due to illness, disability, mental health, learning disabilities, senility etc really so deserve what they get.

Only people who are capable of getting up and out, advocating for themselves, and with the resources to do so, should be helped. Oh, wait...

Sorry for multiple posts just how the fuck does anyone think like this. A man has died in awful circs.

Poster says, yeah well, he just wasn't doing life right was he.

Well no, that's kind of the point.

There are clearly lots of people on here who have no idea what caring for a family member with severe mental health problems is like.

If someone isolates themselves and refuses to engage with medical professionals or social workers it is extremely difficult to get them the medical help they need.

It is really NOT that easy to get someone who needs help sectioned. My family member has psychosis, the NHS advice is to take them to A & E. They refuse to go (understandbly when they are convinced the government is after them) I can't physically force them to go. We've had to call the police, the family member is abusive to the police and is clearly delusional, the police decide they still can't section them.

They won't answer the door to social care workers. They are self neglecting. Without treatment they are not going to be in a position to engage.

Floored. I think people do generally understand that but what are the DWP expected to do exactly when even family members, friends etc can’t get an individual to engage? How do they obtain additional medical information when that person refuses to see a GP or attend any appointments?

It’s not a black and white situation as some people seem to suggest.

I work in an area related to administration of deceased peoples affairs.

Every day I deal with cases where people have died alone. Not found until their house starts smelling etc, sometimes for months.

They don't have visitors and they don't have family. But as they own their homes and pay bills by direct debit there isn't a flag raised.

They are on their own for myriad reasons. Some have outlived their families, moved away or never had family.

Some preferred privacy and refused anyone access to their home. I hear neighbours say again and again 'he kept himself to himself'.

Many neglected their health problems and refused approaches from people who could help.

Each case is different and each case is sad, but none of the cases I work with are related to poverty or benefits etc. Life is complicated, and many people can't be 'fixed' by any higher power.

This has gone on for years. Mr Graham certainly isn’t the first and sadly nor will he be the last. Beats me why I pay my TAXES as It’s definitely not going to the most needy. .

Still Britain wanted a Tory Government as per usual, so We’ve got a Tory Government.

Services failed this man and I don’t think blaming the DWP is very helpful. They are certainly not the most culpable. FWIW, I cared for a seriously mentally ill family member and she would not engage. I spent hours phoning and emailing the mental health team, her GP and social worker. We got her help eventually. You may not able to help a seriously unwell person but I’d never give up trying. It didn’t involve money on my part.