Lawyers demand full investigation into DWP-related death. ‘Nothing to hide, nothing to fear’, IDS?

Last Updated: March 5, 2016By

Former soldier David Clapson. Will the Conservative Government allow an inquiry into his death that may have far-reaching consequences for other victims of Iain Duncan Smith’s policies?

The Conservative Government has resisted all efforts to secure independent inquiries into its sanctions regime in the past, and there is no reason to believe this will be any different.

It’s a strange attitude, isn’t it, from a government that, defending its own “Snooper’s Charter”, tells people they have nothing to fear if they have nothing to hide?

Perhaps the only conclusion we can draw from this obstructiveness is that Iain Duncan Smith and David Cameron do have something to hide.

Law firm Leigh Day are calling for a full and public investigation into the death of a 59-year-old ex-soldier who died in 2013 after he was ‘sanctioned’ by the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP).

David Clapson was a Lance Corporal in the Royal Signals serving in Belfast at the height of the troubles before leaving the army to work for BT. After working for the telecommunications firm for 16 years he became a carer for his elderly mother.

According to his sister Gill Thompson, David was a proud and private man who found asking for help very difficult. David also suffered Type 1 Diabetes and relied on regular insulin shots to survive.

He died in July 2013 from fatal diabetic ketoacidosis which occurs when a severe lack of insulin means the body cannot use glucose for energy, and the body starts to break down other body tissue as an alternative energy source.

The Department for Work and Pensions had sanctioned him for a month, leaving him without electricity and food having stopped his £71.70 Job Seekers Allowance after he failed to attend two appointments.

David’s sister, Gill Thompson has now started a crowd funding campaign in an attempt to secure an Inquest into her brother’s death to investigate whether the benefit sanctions contributed to David suffering fatal ketoacidosis.

Merry Varney from the law firm Leigh Day who is representing Ms Thompson in her fight for an inquest into her brother’s death, said:

“David had a made a significant contribution to the wider public good, working in the Forces at a difficult time and later providing personal care for his elderly mother. At the time he needed support, he was made destitute for failing to attend a meeting.

“Managing Type 1 Diabetes requires good nutrition and regular insulin injections. Rendering a person unable to afford food and/or unable to chill their insulin is likely to have fatal consequences. David’s death must be investigated to make sure safeguards are in place to protect others and to establish whether the DWP knowingly cut off David’s lifeline.”

Source: Lawyers call for full investigation into death of ex-soldier after DWP sanction

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12 Comments

  1. Jean Casale March 5, 2016 at 11:25 am - Reply

    What have you got to hide?

    Government says: “If you don’t have anything to hide why are you worried about surveillance etc., yet, these same people, that hide in private, meet in secret, under armed guard, won’t disclose what they are doing.

  2. thelovelywibblywobblyoldlady March 5, 2016 at 11:29 am - Reply

    I really do hope for Gill (and Davids) sake and for all the others who have suffered and are suffering at the hands of this merciless tory regime, that this goes all the way and the government are found guilty of corporate manslaughter at the very least (but it should be murder really shouldn’t it)

  3. Helen March 5, 2016 at 11:46 am - Reply

    Let’s hope they succeed.

  4. Terry Davies March 5, 2016 at 11:49 am - Reply

    a vote of no confidence is long overdue.

  5. Nick March 5, 2016 at 11:52 am - Reply

    IDS will never give in until his own death so Merry Varney from the law firm Leigh Day who is representing Ms Thompson in her fight for an inquest into her brother’s death will have a long wait

    i wish merry well in her endeavor to get justice for the families for the crimes that IDS has inflicted on their loved ones which are just the tip of the iceberg

  6. Michael Broadhurst March 5, 2016 at 11:57 am - Reply

    wish her every success with this.its time this toad of a man was brought to justice for his actions.

  7. diabolicalme March 5, 2016 at 12:19 pm - Reply

    Thank you for posting this and keeping us up-to-date with the case, Mike. I speak as a fellow Type 1 diabetic of 40+ years, who lives in fear every single day of my next round of WCA, pushing me out of the ESA Support Group into a life of intolerable stress and worry about meetings, appointments and sanctions (I have long term mental health illness too, which has been deteriorating ever since my first WCA 3 1/2 years’ ago). I shall certainly help with the crowd funding, this case is very close to my heart.

    • amnesiaclinic March 5, 2016 at 6:39 pm - Reply

      Please find a way to deal with the fear because as you have so rightly noted, it has a very significant, harmful effect on the body. There are some wonderful, simple and effective ways to lower stress and enhance the body’s immune system which are free and do not take a lot of time to learn but practiced daily will reduce your stress and worry. The most effective I know is tapping or EFT. If you have access to a computer you can find all the information there with masses of diy help.
      They want people to buckle under the stress and all the trauma and worry – so don’t!
      Good luck!
      x

  8. nicola159nicola March 5, 2016 at 12:34 pm - Reply

    I have pledged a contribution to this cause, and I would urge all other who can afford it to do the same.

  9. cis March 5, 2016 at 3:13 pm - Reply

    Thanks for posting this.

  10. Harry March 5, 2016 at 10:09 pm - Reply

    I view these deaths as homicide. I simply can’t believe anything else. I too will try to find a little money to send for this meritworthy campaign.

  11. STEVEN MCGUIRE March 5, 2016 at 11:56 pm - Reply

    i know we all talk about IDS but cameron is PM hes the boss so hes as bad if not worse is that he had a disabled child so he should no better than anyone what is mad is people at the job centre giving sactions there pen pushers not medicaly trained so they have been brainwashed to think everybody is at it and probaly be on bonuses for sactions they have got to be brought to court for murder

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