Grandmother Stephanie Bottrill was forced by this Government to find £20 a week that she didn’t have for the bedroom tax. She had lived in her terrace house for 18 years. Last Saturday she left her home for the last time to walk to Junction 4 of the M6 where she walked out in front of lorry- she was killed instantly. She is the first known suicide to result from the heinous bedroom tax imposed by the Tories. She left notes for her family in which she said: don’t blame yourselves, blame this government. Days before her death she told neighbours ‘I can’t afford to live anymore’. Read more of this harrowing story at https://www.cantpaywontpay.org/publish/?p=2655
A deputy head of a London school wrote to the DWP asking if they knew about the effects that sanctions were having. She described children who hadn’t eaten, children fainting from hunger, children unable to attend school because they did not have shoes.
https://dpac.uk.net/2013/05/dear-department-for-work-and-pensions/
This is 21st century Britain; a place where the suicides and premature deaths from the DWP and Governments regimes are increasing with alarming speed; a place where people are unable to feed their children or their selves.
On the day Stephanie’s tragic story was exposed by the Mirror, the Benefits Justice Summit2 was happening in London. The second of two successful summits and a model that has been replicated in local areas for a ‘fight back’ to this attack on disabled people and people on low incomes by the multi-millionaires and corporate companies running this country. A country that is the sixth richest in the world, but one which sees no end to the demonization and increasing desperation and destitution of ordinary people like Stephanie and many others. We cannot allow this any longer, we must all join together to fight these horrendous attacks on ordinary people!
I wish I could have attended, but I’m not local and crowds – even of lovely caring people – alarm me.
But, my god, are we really living in a Britain where children are fainting in schools from hunger!
Dear god!
I was at the event on Saturday in London having traveled from Wales. The event both angered and inspired me to continue the fight here with the Tenantiaid Cymru / Welsh Tenants. There are so many people bravely opposing these wicked and pernicious so called reforms (a misnomer if ever there was one). The tragic case of Stephanie is just one of the 660,000 other tenants and their extended families who will carry the scars of the bedroom tax for years to come. While there are many other aspects of the welfare reform act that also causes anxiety and stress, the shear injustice of the bedroom tax causes most outrage, as it callously treats decades of investment that a family makes in their home and community as trade for tory millionaire tax cuts and dodgy tax avoidance wheezes for the wealthy. There is a disproportionate price being paid by the poorest in our society, one which we must put an end too.
Well done to DCH, DPAC, unions, delegates, and the organising committee for a truly inspiring event. Hopefully we can continue to get the message out there, that these reforms are a step too far and must be repealed! If you want to come on board in our campaign here in Wales please contact me Steve
This is a lovely example of calm opposition to the actions of a Cynical and criminally incompetent Government.
The one set of people we need to defend the poor and weak , sadly ARE the SUPER RICH ( lawyers, Senior Civil Servants and Local Gonvernment Mangament )
I listen to the desperate plights being revealed and railed against am reminded that before 1939…. the NAZI’s Gas Chambers were originallly built for the DISABLED… then Depression and national austerity let negative controlloers like Hitler take control of a weak, disenfranchised and angry angry population… Sounds crazy, but many probably know the histrory and you will know I am not over-reacting.
Difference this time is that with the WWWeb decent people can expose the liars and fraudsters and construct a rational strategy to help people into work and to regain self esteem and self worth… Sorry for the rant. Lol kevin
Brilliant ! I posted it up on my Twitter page my name on Twitter is Methusalada where I have friends many in the SNP & here in Wales with Plaid Cymru .I am a retired committee member of Unite in North Wales. I shall no doubt get my press friends asking me what’s going on. Only give me what you want to tell the press !
I shall be able to give you some personally exciting news soon , but I have to talk to Unite the Union in Wales first. My campaigns are sometimes personal as I am a registered disabled pensioner . Tech savvy,Press savvy ! A solo campaigner up until now !
Just what has the UK come to under this Government? its shamefull some of the things i read.