Heartbreaking. Grandmother commits suicide due to bedroom tax.

[Darkesteyes]

This is heart rending. She left a note before heading to the moterway.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-victim-commits-suicide-1883600#.UY6lhlQGgMY.twitter

[Darkesteyes]

I think this merits posting again.


DarkesteyesMon 13-May-13 16:59:30


I recognise a few names on this linked thread.

Seems quite a few of the more compassionless ones on here were happy to politicise in this case .........

//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/in_the_news/a1724061-Was-the-Daily-Mail-right-to-call-Mick-Philpott-a-vile-product-of-the-Welfare-System

[usualsuspect]

I only ever see their names on these type of threads.

[PeneloPeePitstop]

Usual maybe they could have not artificially inflated house prices years ago driving up rents so they could profit?

Nah. They have to have their 'investment'. Sod those who need somewhere to live.

[PeneloPeePitstop]

Astroturfers, Usual?

[FasterStronger]

Astroturfers - really do you think anyone would get paid for this debate?

[usualsuspect]

Hmm, odd they only ever post on benefit/council house thresds

[Xenia]

Why shoudl we give women like this a 3 bed house for the next 30 years (!!!) at tax payer expense when ordinary families cannot get a council house and get no housing subsidy. Whilst everyone is sad she killed herself, the principle that you cannot keep your 3 bed house from age 50 - 90 or whenever you die is very very wise.

Most British people support the benefits cut policies, much as that pains the left wing mumsnetters who post on these topics. I has huge huge support from most working people.

[PeneloPeePitstop]

Thing is, Xenia, pensioners can under occupy all they like, making a lie of the reason for this policy.

[Darkesteyes]

It wont be long before they start saying a single person in a one bedroom flat doesnt need both a bedroom AND a living room and then subject them to the bedroom tax unless they move to a bedsit.

[Wuldric]

I didn't post on the Mick Philpott thread. This sort of conspiracy theorising is not helping move the debate forward.

Do you agree that it is not solely the government that caused this lady's suicide? Do you feel that it is possible or indeed probable that other factors were at play? Like perhaps being very depressed and seeing things out of proportion?

[usualsuspect]

Women like what?

Women with health issues?
Poor women?

[cory]

What do people mean when they ask why she wasn't registered disabled? Do they imagine there is some kind of national register that you can just sign up for? Or do they mean, why did she not receive DLA? Do they understand the process?

[PeneloPeePitstop]

This policy was enough to be the final straw, as is any dealing with local authority or DWP when you've too much to deal with already.

Stephanie Bottrill felt that was the case - don't forget she was a human being with a name.

People on here do tend to forget benefit claimants are people sometimes.

[FasterStronger]

oh good god. my gma had to move house recently. she is 96. of course she did not want to. but it the cuts, you know.

but she has to.
so she did.

she is a tough old so and so and now loves her new place.

I am sorry this woman killed herself but this is not a universal story.

people of all ages move all the time.

[OwlLady]

I agree with everything edam has posted, where is peoples empathy these days?

I said to my friend this morning, I read so many articles about 'scroungers' but the reality is a lot of people have to claim benefits either because of their own health or because they have to care someone else. Every single day for the last two weeks on top of my normal day to day caring responsibilities I have had to attend appointments, here there and everywhere because of the person i care for, or I have had to wait in for medication and products to be delivered. I really cannot see how a lot of carers (including myself) can work. I did work previously but as my daughter gets progressivley worse I really cannot ever envisage it again. That is unless I put her into state care and the government picked up the whole of her caring responsibilities and I went and got myself a hob

[OwlLady]

a Job!

oh arf at hob

[PeneloPeePitstop]

DLA is vastly under claimed.

I have sufficient disabilities to qualify, however for one I haven't got the emotional health and strength to go through that for me, I have enough to deal with when it comes to the kids. I ended up that way being a Carer and saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

And secondly it will shortly be the case that you can't be disabled AND a Carer,even though many of us are both.

There hasn't been a disability 'register' held by local authorities since the 90s.

[PeneloPeePitstop]

Faster what cuts?
Pensioners are exempt from BT.

[cory]

I have no idea of the rights and wrongs in the present case; there may well be more than one side to it.

But I am worried by a lot of current rhetoric that suggests that any disabled person who is not on some mythical register or has not been signed off by ATOS must be a fraud.

And I know many doctors are worried by a spate of disability related suicides.

[OwlLady]

On a practical note, if you are a carer please look at carers uk and see if you have a local charity for your county. Ours is very good and they will provide you with an advocate in order to help you get the support you need (which does include benefits) They also run carers support groups, cafes etc.

[Darkesteyes]

Wuldric so you wernt one of the hypocrites who posted on the Philpott thread. Fair enough but that thread did have more than one poster you know. I didnt link it just for your benefit.

[usualsuspect]

Pensioners don't pay the bedroom tax.

so not quite sure why your grandmother had to move.

[Darkesteyes]

There have been many suicides due to benefit cuts not just one as Wuldric claims.

calumslist.org/

[Darkesteyes]

www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/news/391-suicide-linked-to-changes-in-incapacity-benefit.html

[FasterStronger]

no not due to the BT - her care home was being closed due to the cuts in local govt spending.

so the idea the old are unaffected is incorrect.