List of those for whom Welfare Reform and cuts were too much to bear

[ViolentPanda]

Elaine Morrall RIP - just saw this on facebook HEART-RENDING: Mum who died alone in the cold with her hat and scarf on

Her mum put this letter on social media, addressed to local councillors:
My daughter lived in Boston ave. She died on the afternoon of 2 November 2017 at home on her own. She was 38yrs.

In the cold with her coat & scarf on. Because she wouldn't put her heating on until her kids came home from school. Why ?? Because she couldn't afford it.

Because she was severely depressed. Suffered from eating disorder & many other problems for many years.

Mainly due to authoritarians of 1 form or another. I can give you details. Was in & out of hospital in recent months in intensive care.

But was deemed not ill enough for esa. Had her benefits stopped numerous times, which in turn stopped her housing benefit.

No income but expected to be able to pay full rent. Was told being in intensive care was not sufficient reason for failing to attend a universal credit interview.

I went to the job centre to inform them them that she couldn't attend. But benefits stopped again.

Uncaring housing taking her to court. She's due to go to court on monday. Is being dead now enough reason. Is that what's had to happen to prove she was ill??

How many people have got to die before this government realises they are killing vulnerable people??

What are you and your fellow councillors going to do to protect your constituents??

Linda Morrall

Broken hearted mother

Jesus head-banging Christ! These deaths aren't "accidents", the suicides that have occurred are due to culpable parties - i.e. the authorities - and yet much of the media won't address the issues, which are that Work Capability Assessments, as carried out by "for profit" companies to whom benefits accrue if they cut the claimant count, KILL. Sanctions can injure and/or KILL. Universal Credit transfer periods can injure and/or kill. This government is killing and injuring people. They are culpable.

 

[Chilli.s]

"Liked" only in agreement VP. You say it so well.

 

[Libertad]

Elaine Morrall RIP - just saw this on facebook HEART-RENDING: Mum who died alone in the cold with her hat and scarf on

Her mum put this letter on social media, addressed to local councillors:
My daughter lived in Boston ave. She died on the afternoon of 2 November 2017 at home on her own. She was 38yrs.

In the cold with her coat & scarf on. Because she wouldn't put her heating on until her kids came home from school. Why ?? Because she couldn't afford it.

Because she was severely depressed. Suffered from eating disorder & many other problems for many years.

Mainly due to authoritarians of 1 form or another. I can give you details. Was in & out of hospital in recent months in intensive care.

But was deemed not ill enough for esa. Had her benefits stopped numerous times, which in turn stopped her housing benefit.

No income but expected to be able to pay full rent. Was told being in intensive care was not sufficient reason for failing to attend a universal credit interview.

I went to the job centre to inform them them that she couldn't attend. But benefits stopped again.

Uncaring housing taking her to court. She's due to go to court on monday. Is being dead now enough reason. Is that what's had to happen to prove she was ill??

How many people have got to die before this government realises they are killing vulnerable people??

What are you and your fellow councillors going to do to protect your constituents??

Linda Morrall

Broken hearted mother

Jesus head-banging Christ! These deaths aren't "accidents", the suicides that have occurred are due to culpable parties - i.e. the authorities - and yet much of the media won't address the issues, which are that Work Capability Assessments, as carried out by "for profit" companies to whom benefits accrue if they cut the claimant count, KILL. Sanctions can injure and/or KILL. Universal Credit transfer periods can injure and/or kill. This government is killing and injuring people. They are culpable.

Mother of four found dead as she couldn’t afford to keep warm after her benefits were cut

 

[Orang Utan]

Man declared 'fit for work' is found dead on beach after asking "What's the point?" | Evolve Politics

 

[teqniq]

No shit Sherlock

Suicide attempts by disability benefit claimants double after controversial assessments introduced

 

[Slo-mo]

But was deemed not ill enough for esa. Had her benefits stopped numerous times, which in turn stopped her housing benefit.

We really, really need to fucking stop this happening.

Whatever your view on JSA sanctions, getting your JSA sanctioned doesn't affect your legal entitlement to housing benefit. The fact that in practice people are getting punished not once but twice for often the most trivial of mistakes which barely warrant more than warning. This could be sorted out so easily by checking why a persons JSA has been stopped before closing the HB claim.

I just think the powers that be can't be arsed sorting this out. I really do despair.

 

[existentialist]

We really, really need to fucking stop this happening.

Whatever your view on JSA sanctions, getting your JSA sanctioned doesn't affect your legal entitlement to housing benefit. The fact that in practice people are getting punished not once but twice for often the most trivial of mistakes which barely warrant more than warning. This could be sorted out so easily by checking why a persons JSA has been stopped before closing the HB claim.

I just think the powers that be can't be arsed sorting this out. I really do despair.

We're meant to despair. Despair breeds fatalism and compliance in a way that anger doesn't.

 

[Slo-mo]

We're meant to despair. Despair breeds fatalism and compliance in a way that anger doesn't.

Oh I'm angry too

 

[billbond]

shocking and very upsetting all these terrible storys
Not saying its right but im amazed there have not been some attacks on these people who stop these peoples benefits and sanctions etc
I know they are doing a job and have to follow instructions but dear oh dear
would not be surprised if there was a major incident one day
What a job

 

[BigTom]

shocking and very upsetting all these terrible storys
Not saying its right but im amazed there have not been some attacks on these people who stop these peoples benefits and sanctions etc
I know they are doing a job and have to follow instructions but dear oh dear
would not be surprised if there was a major incident one day
What a job

There have been a few attacks on JCP staff and buildings in Birmingham over the past few years. Not on DWP ESA assessment centres as far as I know though.

 

[Libertad]

DWP is facing investigation following the suicide of 42-year-old mum of nine

Nothing will come of this investigation of course.

 

[tony.c]

DWP admits to 111,450 deaths of ESA claimants between March 2014 to February 2017.
DWP forced to admit more than 111,000 benefit deaths

 

[BigTom]

That doesn't really tell you anything unfortunately. Obviously people are going to die, and people on ESA at a higher rate than the general population, since it includes many people with terminal illnesses, and chronic conditions which shorten life span.

The number that is really wanted is how many people die after being refused ESA and how this compares to the general population, since it should be roughly the same.
Government doesn't keep track of people who are refused ESA so we'll never have that number.

 

[Libertad]

DWP admits to 111,450 deaths of ESA claimants between March 2014 to February 2017.
DWP forced to admit more than 111,000 benefit deaths

the DWP stress that “no causal effect between the benefit and the number of people who died should be assumed from these figures”.

Right.

 

[existentialist]

Right.

They stress that because they have been extremely careful not to collect any information which might lead a causal connection to be drawn.

I saw the DWP described a few months ago as "increasingly politicised", and realised just how much I'd taken for granted the until recently fairly remarkable Chinese Wall that existed between the political policymakers, and the civil servants implementing those policies. It is clear from the way DWP operates that it appears to have taken on the political ideology as well as the task of merely implementing that ideology. The result is not a happy one.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Sounds like she survived, but Nye Bevan News is reporting that a woman set fire to herself in the housing office at Barnet Council.

Minimal reporting in mainstream news.

 

[crossthebreeze]

Sounds like she survived, but Nye Bevan News is reporting that a woman set fire to herself in the housing office at Barnet Council.

Minimal reporting in mainstream news.

 

[Tooter]

 

[teqniq]

“I just can’t find a way to drag myself out of this f.cking sh.thole of a life, I hate myself…”

 

[UrbaneFox]

Librarians are being mugged into helping people claim benefits.

That's not what a lot of them bargained for when they decided to become a librarian.

From Benefits and Work;

“HORRIFIED” AND “REALLY DEPRESSED” LIBRARY ASSISTANTS
Following on from our story in the last newsletter about librarians providing UC support, we’ve now heard from two library assistants also required to help with UC as part of their job.

One was ‘horrified’ to discover that colleagues were questioning applicants about their circumstances and providing advice at a desk in the middle of a public library, with no hope of privacy or confidentiality.

The library assistant has found themselves labelled ‘hard and unhelpful’ for refusing to follow their colleagues example. Instead they offer advice solely on computer related issues such as how to use a drop down menu.

The second assistant has yet to have any UC clients. Which is probably fortunate as they have received only one afternoon’s training in UC and said that this left them ‘really depressed’.,

 

[crossthebreeze]

Public health research commissioned by Gateshead council:
universal credit linked to suicide risk, says study
Universal credit has become a serious threat to public health, doctors have said, after a study revealed that the stress of coping with the new benefits system had so profoundly affected claimants’ mental health that some considered suicide.

Public health researchers found overwhelmingly negative experiences among vulnerable claimants, including high levels of anxiety and depression, as well as physical problems and social isolation exacerbated by hunger and destitution.

 

[crossthebreeze]

RIP Penny Oliver
Hounded to death by the NHS
"A mum hounded by the NHS over fees of just £29 took her own life by overdosing on the anti-depressants that drove her into debt.

Penny Oliver owed sums of £8.60 and £20.60. But with penalty fees and surcharges these rocketed – the second one alone soaring to £120.60.

And having lost hundreds of pounds a month when her benefits were cut, mum Penny, 54, simply couldn’t pay.

She had just a few pounds in her account and was surrounded by payment demands when her family found her dead in bed in June.

Letters from the council, the NHS and Department for Work and Pensions included threats to take her to court and inform her employer if she did not pay up."

Penny Oliver had back pain and depression and anxiety, and was in receipt of ESA for a time, and by the looks of it was doing "permitted work" of 15 hours a week while claiming ESA. Her back pain eased, but her mental health problems continued, and in November 2017 she was found fit for work. Because of this, she stopped receiving council tax benefit and her housing benefit was halved, but in the process overpayments of these benefits occurred, there was also an overpayment made by the DWP, and during the same period of time, she ticked the wrong box on a prescription form and a dentists form. She received letters demanding that she pay back the overpayments from her council and DWP - The DWP demand letter threatened to deduct payments straight from her wages. She also received letters about the prescription charges and dental fees that added penalties and surcharges - of almost 10 times as much as the original money owed. Penny Oliver had upped her working hours and given away her pet dog, but her mental health deteriorated, and she died on June 14th 2018. It is indicated that money worries played a large part in her death.

 

[Smoking kills]

RIP Penny Oliver.
The "NHS" Business Services Authority didn't even bother responding. apparently. Murder by debt and brown envelope.
For putting a tick in the wrong box.

 

[Libertad]

RIP Penny Oliver.

 

[stuff_it]

His payments were stopped even though a doctor said he was to sick to work

RIP Kevin Dooley

 

[Libertad]

RIP Kevin Dooley.

 

[crossthebreeze]

RIp Kevin Dooley

 

[friendofdorothy]

The WCA has long been blighted by controversy. It has been widely criticised as error-prone and mechanistic, often causing harm to the sick and disabled claimants who are obliged to undergo it. Statistics published in 2015 showed that almost 90 people a month were dying after being declared fit for work.

from this guardian article DWP apologises for telling seriously ill man to find a job

apols if this has already been posted

 

[Libertad]

RIP Neil Micklewright, RIP Paul Micklewright.

Twin brothers found hanging from tree in tragic suicide pact after benefits were cut

 

[existentialist]

RIP Neil Micklewright, RIP Paul Micklewright.

Twin brothers found hanging from tree in tragic suicide pact after benefits were cut

And somewhere, some apparatchik says, mostly in jest, "well, that's two fewer."