Monday 6 January 2014

.@George_Osborne plans another £25 billion in cuts, and wants to take around half of it from welfare

So I'd like to introduce Mr Osborne to few people:

Shaun Pilkington shot himself after his Employment and Support Allowance was stopped.

Tim Salter hanged himself after his benefits were stopped.

Victor Cuff also hanged himself after his sickness benefits were stopped.

Visually and mobility impaired Jacqueline Harris took an overdose in November after she failed the Work Capability Assessment in which she was only asked one question.

David Barr, who had mental health problems, took his life after his benefits were stopped. Posthumously the DWP admitted they were wrong and reinstated his award. Bit late...

There was the well-known case of Stephanie Bottrill who was unable to work due to Myasthenia gravis, and walked in front of a lorry because she couldn't afford the bedroom tax.

Nicholas Barker had been a farmer and was left hemiplegic after a stroke. He shot himself after his benefits were stopped.

Peter Hodgson was left unable to work after a brain haemorrhage and a stroke. He killed himself too.

Martin Rust was schizophrenic. His health had been improving until the DWP found him Fit For Work. The stress resulted in his suicide.

Craig Monk was an amputee with a history of depression and had taken overdoses in the past. He thought his benefits had been stopped and hanged himself.

Elaine Christian was so terrified of her Work Capability Assessment that the day before she slashed her wrists and took an overdose of co-codamol before drowning herself in a drain.

Paul Willcoxson was actually a JobSeeker, not someone claiming sickness benefits. He did, however, have a history of depression. He was so scared knowing benefit cuts were on the horizon that he killed himself.

Richard Sanderson was likewise a JobSeeker. He killed himself after his housing benefit was cut.

These are just the suicides, and these are just the people who've killed themselves due to benefit cuts since the coalition came to power. There were also the deaths of Paul Reekie and Leanne Chambers who killed themselves shortly before the coalition decided to expand on Labour's benefit cuts.

Then there were the people with conditions exacerbated by stress who died of natural causes because of the stress of benefit cuts.

Karen Sherlock had to spend the last months of her life using energy she didn't have fighting for the benefits she was entitled to. She was finally awarded them a few days before her heart gave out.

David Groves died of a massive heart attack the night before his Work Capability Assessment.

Brian McArdle had had several strokes. Despite this leaving him visually and mobility impaired; he was found Fit For Work. He collapsed in the street and died from a heart attack the next day.

Colin Traynor had epilepsy. He had a fatal seizure shortly after being found Fit For Work. His parents believe it was the stress that triggered the fatal seizure.

How much longer does Osborne want this list to be?

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