Man refused benefits dies of starvation

[2old2beamum]

A 44 year od man with mental health issues, aspergers and OCD deemed capable of work has benefits reduced to £40/week dies and has a BMI of just over 11. I weep with shame.

A millionaire but receiving Housing Benefit? Keep trying, Stockhausen...

This story had me in tears this morning, poor soul was so sadly let down.

"He had an eating disorder and an aversion to food"

Will you have a think about what you are saying? The government stopped his money, he had no money for food.

He was not choosing not to have food, he had no choice.

How many more excuses will people like you make before you understand this governments policies are killing people? It was predicted, and now it's happening, and they don't care.

Will you say of the people who kill themselves that they had depression anyway?

Can't you see the obvious - if the government squeeze the most vulnerable in society, it's quite likely that it will be those people's existing vulnerabilities which are the cause of their suffering and even deaths? But for many, if the system wasn't designed to be stacked against them, they would have been able to cope. So people with eating disorders are possibly more likely to starve; people with depression more likely to kill themselves, but it is the government who is cutting off the food supply and pushing people to the point of desperation which is at fault.

Built into the system set up by government and administered by Atos is an attack on the vulnerable in society. It is not just nor fair. Over 60% of appeals are won, does that not tell you something about how gung-ho they are being at pushing people into destitution?

How many more have to die before people like you will see the wood for the trees?

Deaths such as Mark Wood's were predicted, and are preventable - by changing the system.

IDS and ATOSknow this. And this is why they should be held responsible, They have blood on their hands IMO, no question.

I wasn't suggesting he actually was a millionaire

aufaniae

People like me?

With all due respect, you don't know me from Adam... So wind your neck in

I don't think anyone thinks that you think we was a millionaire. They might think few millionaires have to survive on £40 a week when already very vulnerable.

No Stockhausen I don't. All I know about you is this thread. By people like you, I mean those who find excuses for this government's lethal policies which are currently attacking the most vulnerable in society, and will only get worse with Universal Credit.

I'll ask again, and change my language - how many more need to die before those currently make excuses for this government stop doing so?

I am not sure he wasn't eating because his benefits were stopped. In fact the article says he was not told that his housing benefit and ESA had been stopped, and that the tribunal noted that he had an eating disorder. If his family didn't notice he was starving and/or were unable to help him, then how could the state benefits system have been expected to do any better? It's tragic all the same, as eating disorders are tragic. But nothing really to do with benefits.

That's so sad.

Trouble is it's all very well declaring someone is fit to work but have you tried getting work recently? (I am looking for work ATM)

It's so competitive out there and so hard for anyone with the slightest thing against them, such as health problems or being currently out of work.

But anorexiamum, we are supposed to have a safety net. The family thought he was cushioned by this safety net. The safety net was removed, as he was assessed as not being vulnerable enough to need it. Then that vulnerability killed him. How is that not linked?

Absolutely shameful. The whole ATOD assessment system is doubly flawed for people with mental health problems. You simply cannot diagnose MH issues in 30 mins visits. Why do they not ask the GP who has the evidence? Stupid and a waste of public money.

Poor poor chap.

Part of me wonders whether the cuts, in crease in pension age etc is just to kill the poor off
I know that sounds melodramatic but it does strike me it hits certain sections of society much much than those who are in power :(

That poor man and his poor family :( it's just such a shame

"we are supposed to have a safety net. ... The safety net was removed, as he was assessed as not being vulnerable enough to need it. Then that vulnerability killed him. How is that not linked?"

Exactly.

I know, spot on :(

This is not an isolated case. This is how the system works now. It's up to us to do something about it by voting these murderers out.

32 die a week after failing test for new incapacity benefit
"More than a thousand ­sickness benefit claimants died last year after being told to get a job"

Benefits bosses admit over half of people ruled fit to work ended up destitute
"MORE than HALF of people stripped of disability benefits after being ruled “fit for work” by Atos were left unemployed and without income, according to a Government study."

Deaths warning as MPs blast Atos
"Thousands of sick or disabled people have died after being assessed to find out whether they were fit to work, the Commons was told."

Not sure why the doctor didn't have him admitted to hospital. Presumably the doctor realised his weight was becoming life threatening whether linked to an eating disorder or starvation? Where were his family and what were they doing? This seems wrong on more levels than benefits stopping to be honest.

Poor poor man but we say it takes a village to raise a child (more than a parent or a social worker); well it takes a village to care for the vulnerable too in my opinion.

Perhaps members of his family were working trying to hold down jobs in a climate where a lot of employers are looking for any excuse to get rid of employees.

You often find that ppl who say the family should be able to do it are the same ppl who say that ppl should move away from their families and communities to find work

"it takes a village to care for the vulnerable too in my opinion." - yes, and we vote for a government and pay taxes to the government to perform that role on our behalf. His "village-provided" income was REMOVED and then he died.

But a lot of ppl in that village get told to "get on their bikes and find work" and move away to where the work is.

Most of you restore my faith in humanity but what can we do to stop this happening again and again.

Intervene when we see it happening to those around us and those to whom we should be closest.

"But nothing really to do with benefits."

Are you saying that people without eating disorders can survive on £40/wk to cover rent, food, bills, etc, anorexiamum? Otherwise your post makes no sense.

As to "how could the state benefits system have been expected to do any better", perhaps because the benefits offices did in fact know his situation, because they're the ones who created it. His family thought those bases were covered.

To repeat:

DWP/ATOS are supposed to ask the GP for a medical report. They did not do so.

Had they done so, the GP would have told them this man was seriously ill, unable to work, and would be made more ill by stress from benefits being cut. It's possible they received this info anyway if they received the GP's un-requested letter.

So either they knew about the impact removing his benefits would have. Or, had they followed their own system, they should have known.

This is why people are saying the benefits system is at fault.

"Intervene when we see it happening to those around us and those to whom we should be closest."

But how, what does this mean? Replace the benefit? Fight ATOS? What?

Or is it just words so that it is someone else's fault, not ours, because we would do something if it were our family.
.