DWP hounded diabetic, mentally ill mother to her death after ‘fit for work’ verdict

150920Urbacz pic copy

Your caring government will say there is no evidence to connect its policies with the deaths of benefit claimants. Does anybody – at all – believe that any more?

This was posted on Facebook today.

Peter Urbacz

My mother Ruby Urbacz age 59 was found dead at her home on the 6th September as a result of a heart attack. She had been admitted to hospital a 01/08/15 for chest pains where they found she had had three minor heart attacks. Even though my mother had poor mobility , type 2 diabetes, very basic numeracy and literacy skills and mental health problems including depression, she was deemed “fit for work” by the DWP. She was put on JSA and hounded to show evidence of looking for a job she struggled to write a shopping list and thus constantly worried about money and if her benefits would be stopped.

Her benefits were stopped without without any investigation as she missed her jsa appointment whilst in hospital, after her discharge she had received no money for five consecutive weeks of the £50 per week she would have normally received she was also paying £20 per week in bedroom tax. On only £30 per week She could not afford to feed herself properly as bills were her main priority, so was living off food bought from poundland which obviously worsened her diabetes.
She was getting carer visits from the red cross.

After her discharge from hospital. On the the 4th September the carers notes say “Ruby is worried about money, still waiting for benefits to be sorted.” She died less than 48hours later.

I’m writing this not because I want sympathy but to make you aware that Iain Duncan Smith’s policies are directly contributing to the deaths of the most vulnerable people in our society.

Please do not comment with sympathetic messages as this will not change anything, instead share this post and make as many people aware of the contemptuous nature of our self serving government who punish the poor and give to the rich.
Thank you for sharing.

Source: His diabetic mother was found dead in her home after being sanctioned for being in hospital with heart problems. | Benefit tales

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

latest video

news via inbox

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

25 Comments

  1. Jeffery Davies September 20, 2015 at 1:34 pm - Reply

    Yet on it goes the deaths of abused gets higher but nothing to do with the government’s policys hum day in day out we see we hear of others who have been abused by the system run by rtu ids dwp jcp isnt it abkut time decent mps say no more but on it goes jeff3

  2. casalealex September 20, 2015 at 1:57 pm - Reply

    Peter, my thoughts are with you, as I am sure many many others will feel the same. Sorry that we could not help your Mum and so many others, this is so cruel. Love to you and yours x

    • Mike Sivier September 20, 2015 at 4:17 pm - Reply

      He did request no messages of sympathy…

  3. Nick September 20, 2015 at 3:10 pm - Reply

    NOTED AND FORWARDED TO Ms Catalina Devandas Aguilar, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities FOR THE UN Human Rights Council

  4. Nick September 20, 2015 at 3:13 pm - Reply

    CAN I REMIND EVERYONE THAT ANY DEATHS OWING TO WELFARE REFORM SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO Ms Catalina Devandas Aguilar, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities FOR THE UN Human Rights Council

    Contact Special Rapporteur
    Email: [email protected]

  5. Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) September 20, 2015 at 3:36 pm - Reply

    Peter Urbacz, as next of kin, and possibly estate executor, has the right to obtain a copy of his mother’s DWP and WCA assessment file. See also: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4DDIATl4FpJM19JcGNjX1FGajVTOTg3eTkxcF91elp4X3hn/view?usp=sharing regarding Mark Wood.

  6. David Lowrence September 20, 2015 at 6:08 pm - Reply

    Posted on Facebook? Should be nailed on the door of no 10.

  7. paulmac49 September 20, 2015 at 7:57 pm - Reply

    When I hear cases like this one, I think to myself how bad it is, it can’t get any worse but it does these are worrying times, and those Tories must be brought to book.

    • Ian September 22, 2015 at 4:37 pm - Reply

      Oh it could be worse. Those in certain groups (such as WRAG) could be rounded up for intensive job training in what may only later be revealed to be concentration camps where they receive no medical help and quietly disposed of.

  8. toocomplex4justice September 21, 2015 at 6:19 am - Reply

    They tried to starve me to death 3 times and would have succeeded if tescos didn’t sell tins of rice pudding for 15p. Now they are having another try and will succeed as they have taken my Motability car and reduced my income to £50pw
    A “nurse” called B**** K***** clearly understood the challenges I face but chose to lie on every single assessment question and ignored all medical evidence. Her motive was cash, what happened to vocation?

  9. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) September 21, 2015 at 7:02 am - Reply

    Although I disagree with a couple of Jeremy Corbyn’s views HE is the only Leader of whom I am aware with the compassion and decency who really desires to rid us of this dreadful government and return dignity and normality to peoples’ lives.

    Downton Abbey may be fun to watch but leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth as it so cleverly portrays the disgusting greed and pomp of those ghastly “landed gentry” of that time. There are many today who would love to continue their worthless lives at the expense of those so very much less fortunate financially but so very superior intellectually. I urge those who want to see the end of this scum, living in vulgar luxury, off the backs of the real working people to be thankful to, at last, support a Leader with compassion and respect for the general public.

  10. mrmarcpc September 21, 2015 at 3:29 pm - Reply

    Heart wrenching and sickened to read this article, this country and this government really make me despair and make my blood boil, not one of these b*****ds are going to be held account for this agenda that they are carrying out, where the hell is the opposition to all of this, where the hell is both the UN and the EU, no one seems to be doing a bloody thing about it all, nobody seems to care at all, this country and its people are lost!

    • Jon Raab September 21, 2015 at 5:48 pm - Reply

      It’s not the policy at fault so much as the staff that implement it inappropriately. No rule says deprive a diabetic of food. This is something that needs a separate conversation. The job of a DM is to use discretion not commit murder. They should be prosecuted under the criminal justice system as a hate crime

      • Mike Sivier September 21, 2015 at 8:55 pm - Reply

        They’ll use the Nuremberg Defence: “Just following orders”. The evidence has shown, time and time again, that policy IS to blame. Also, if what you’re saying is right, why does the DWP have a guide on the physical effects of deprivation following a benefit sanction? We’ve all seen it.

    • Lou Lou laney September 21, 2015 at 7:37 pm - Reply

      Can they not see that it is the very vulnerable who are suffering, not the fraudsters they are targeting. The fraudsters will have no problem filling in the forms, playing the system, turning up for appointments, they have the same guile as the tax evaders. This woman could not even write a shopping list according to her son.

      Must point out thou, why was her son not helping her, family must come first. If my mum was this vulnerable, I would have looked after her and no way would she be left in this state. Why couldn’t her son help out with her bills, her care, she is his responsibility too. He wrote a eloquent statement here so what’s his excuse?

      • Mike Sivier September 21, 2015 at 8:24 pm - Reply

        Perhaps he had only a limited amount of time and money.
        I mean, have you ever had to try to juggle caring responsibilities with looking after a family of your own? It isn’t easy!
        Don’t be too quick to deal out judgement. We have what we were told and should not assume anything else.

      • Lou Lou laney September 22, 2015 at 4:06 pm - Reply

        Of course I have, I was widowed age 31 with 3 children under 5.! You say he might not have much time? Says it all really!

        • Mike Sivier September 22, 2015 at 6:13 pm - Reply

          I said you don’t know what the circumstances are and should not be so willing to deal out judgement. Why are you so keen to do so?

  11. Stosh September 22, 2015 at 8:52 am - Reply

    I really wish people would do more research, rather than blinding sharing and posting something that is the only post on profile with no friends of photos :( I am not saying stories like this do not exist, this to me looks and feels like a hoax profile. So the story has no credibility. (at the moment)
    https://www.facebook.com/peter.urbacz

    • Mike Sivier September 22, 2015 at 10:42 am - Reply

      The Daily Mirror didn’t think so: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/depressed-mum-dies-heart-attack-6485100
      I wonder whether you came here with an agenda.

      • Steve Swannell September 22, 2015 at 11:35 am - Reply

        Ha no agenda, just my lap top. I have left the same comment on the Mirror site. But asked if they researched thire artical. The only agenda I have is truth. If it turns out I am wrong, then I will apologize now :).

        • Mike Sivier September 22, 2015 at 12:07 pm - Reply

          Accepted.

    • Lou Lou laney September 23, 2015 at 4:28 pm - Reply

      I’m not judging, just going by what is said here. The son writes a very eloquent letter, he sounds educated. Why rely on the State to look after YOUR mum? She, by what he says, very vulnerable, sick and semi illiterate. Where is his responsibility to his mum? Even if he had no money to help her, why was he not providing at least some care? Or food or any time whatsoever. He says she had her Disability (ESA) stopped and was signing on for JSA! FFS was he just ignoring her? Perhaps he is racked with guilt? I would be. Perhaps he is writing to press to ease his guilt. 100s of comments agree with me. In my community, my background we look after our older, weaker family, not abandon them to their fate.

      • Mike Sivier September 23, 2015 at 10:08 pm - Reply

        Sorry, but you are judging. Look at what you’ve written – the tone and the language you use. You don’t know anything about this family’s situation but you ask, “Perhaps he is racked with guilt? I would be.” Again, to remind you: You don’t know anything about this family’s situation.

  12. Lou Lou September 30, 2015 at 9:02 am - Reply

    No personal responsibility then – for anyone? Only State Responsibility – very Stalinist

Leave A Comment