Sanction and suicide – The poor side of life

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We don’t easily get shocked on our weekly demos; we hear so many terrible stories. But yesterday was a day that I won’t forget for a while, writes SeerCharlotte71 on The poor side of life.

I walked over and spoke to this lovely man. He was … in his mobility scooter and shook my hand. He went on to say, “My friend committed suicide just before Christmas. He hung himself at the top of his stairs.

“He had been sanctioned but he had mental health problems. He was that scared that he was going to lose his house, he killed himself. He couldn’t see any other way out. I miss him every day – life without him isn’t the same.

“Since when was this government allowed to hurt people like this? It’s wrong – so wrong. They’ve put me on the work programme and I’ve got to go to Manchester for an interview for a workfare job. How am I going to afford to do that?

“I won’t eat just so I can go, I’m too scared – that I will be sanctioned – to do otherwise. I already volunteer but it’s not good enough, they say. They won’t let me breathe. I want to work but I am limited in what I can do.”

To most people this is shocking; it’s wrong. To the government this is okay; this is right. How can it be right?

More examples of the Coalition Government’s inhumanity are offered in the original article on The poor side of lifegive it a visit.

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10 thoughts on “Sanction and suicide – The poor side of life

  1. Marcus de Mowbray

    I just pray that the UN Investigation into Crimes Against Humanity takes some action once this wicked regime has been booted out. The first western democracy ever to be investigated and it’s Cameron’s Cronies. Many of us might be dead before we see justice, but I hope that the history books will do no favours to these evil bureaucratic Vogons.

    1. joanna may

      Are you kidding? seriously when have you ever known any group of politicians being held to account for what they have done? I am not having a go at you, but a lot of people seem to be relying on some sort of natural justice, There isn’t any justice ever!! I guess this is some way for people to comfort their souls believing in justice, But its all a big LIE!!

  2. Jeffery Davies

    Its a sad fact the poor pay the price for the austerity measures but looking at our government who haven’t felt the hands of austerity infact didnt they have a pay rise that alot only get that whot ghey had to live on day in day out more news of the poor paying the price for those who haven’t lost owt jeff3

  3. David Sugg

    The main thing I cannot understand is why the law is not
    Protecting the people from this government or is it legal
    For our government to withdraw all finical support to the
    Most vulnerable poor, disabled sick and dying people of
    This country leaving them so destitute they cannot buy food
    Or pay for a roof over their head or heat and light even if they have
    A home until they lose it because they have no means to pay rent or
    A mortgage in short knowing their actions are going to result in their
    Deaths if any person treated an animal like this they would end up in
    Court for subjecting the animal to undue suffering and cruelty
    Yet there are not laws to protect people!

  4. Robert Fillies

    This government are so callous that they would consider this awful, terrible, desperate act as collateral damage. Just something that occurs, as in a war, there is no excuse to cause it though to sick people who need help,not constant attack by their government. They should feel ashamed,but they won’t.

  5. Chris

    Just pity is not enough. The Abolition of all benefit sanctions by Labour is what is required. Will they commit to that?

    Sanctions months long are direct conspiracy to kill, as medicine knows it takes about a month to starve to death.

    Workfare is the first time in history that a slave has to pay for transport, food, clothes and accommodation. It has been free since time began.

    A work programme that demands an interview for a workfare job paying nil wages for 6 months is theft from the taxpayer, to pay a profit making company or even worse a charity supposed to help people.

    This cruelty was done by the Tories and Liberals (called Lib Dems now) back in Victorian days of the 19th Century with the Workhouse and the New Poor Law. They have done when the Liberals were called Whigs even further into the past.

    People 60 and over now denied state pension payout, are within the unemployed mostly because of disability / chronic illness and those benefits being lost as well as equally liable for sanctioning and workfare.

    Now many of these will get zero state pension for life
    even after paying National Insurance contributions from wages and getting NI credits from benefits.

    See why in my Why This is important under my petition:
    https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/state-pension-at-60-now

    How do I know?

    Because this is me. Nil benefits, unable to work, unable to access mobility scooter at Shopmobility as they do not stock small scooters that can go in shops for heavier people than up to about dress sizes 16, disabled and chronic sick, denied state pension at 60 (joining the 530,000 women since 2013) til 2020, and now liable for flat rate pension that denies me
    any state pension for life
    after paying compulsory National Insurance off my wages all my working life.

    And denied National Insurance credits for elder care of my parents, as not informed of my right to such credits till 2 years after they passed over. Did not look as thought had 30 years NI history and state pension at 60.

    Labour does not offer me any state pension by not repealing the Pension Bills 2010-2014 (latter flat rate pension 2016) and I cannot be alone.

    Two millions workers may get state pensions next year as low as £55 (official government forecasts sent to them for their retirement age after 6 April 2016).

    When the current basic state pension of £113.10 is already reckoned by international finance experts as the lowest of all rich nations bar poor Mexico.

    And the Institute of Fiscal Studies rates £500 per month as 4 per cent lowest income.

  6. A-brightfuture

    This is heart breaking.

    This is how this government is conducting compliance and control.

    The fear of destitution, by creating complete and utter hopelessness and despair.
    This is the very core of human survival.
    We need food.
    We need shelter.
    We need our dignity, we also need to feel no shame in asking for help.

    All of this has been eroded to such a degree that vulnerable folk have taken their own lives rather than live in misery and fear.

    However, to the people still surviving this nightmare, it gives the message.

    YOU COULD BE NEXT!

    It is the most evil, heinous way to control a group of people.

    Psychological mind games.
    Complete poverty will result in DEATH !!

    So do as you are told!!!!!!

  7. ,arjorie arnold

    this government cares nothing for stories like this. that is why they must be defeated at the election in may and splitting the vote – to show your protest – that will split the vote and this sorry bunch will get in again

  8. Sasson Hann

    I’ve always asked people to consider: if this is what the government does to the vulnerable, how do you think they’re going to treat the rest of the population?

Comments are closed.