Bedroom Tax Blamed For Woman's Suicide

Bedroom Tax Blamed For Woman's Suicide


Stephanie Bottrill used a final letter to her family to say
she blamed the Government's controversial bedroom tax for her death.



4:13am UK,
Sunday 12 May 2013





Video: Suicide Woman Blamed Bedroom
Tax
Enlarge

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  A woman who committed suicide left a note blaming the
  Government's so-called bedroom tax for her death.
  
  Stephanie Bottrill killed herself earlier this month, and wrote in her final
  letter: "I don't [blame] anyone for me death expect [sic] the government."
  
  Her son Steven, 27, said she was struggling to cope after being told to pay
  £20-a-week extra for two under-occupied bedrooms at her home in Solihull.
  
  He told the Sunday People: "I couldn't believe it. She said not to blame
  ourselves, it was the Government and what they were doing that caused her to do
  it.
  
  "She was fine before this bedroom tax. It was dreamt up in London, by people
  living in offices and big houses. They have no idea the effect it has on people
  like my mum."
  
  Ms Bottrill died 10 days ago at the age of 53.
  
  In the days running up to her death she told neighbours: "I can't afford to
  live any more."
  
  Solihull Council Labour group leader David Jamieson, who knows the family,
  said: "I'm absolutely appalled this poor lady has taken her own life because she
  was worried how she would pay the bedroom tax.
  
  "I hope the Government will sit up and take notice and reconsider this
  policy."
  The bedroom tax sparked protests before it was
  introduced last month
  The bedroom tax means people of a working age in social housing who have a
  spare bedroom will find housing benefit claims reduced by £40 to £80 a
  month.
  
  Ms Bottrill had lived in her £320-a-month home for 18 years as she raised her
  son and daughter, but could not cope with the extra £80 she had to find every
  month.
  
  Mr Bottrill said his mother wanted to work, but there was no way she
  could.
  
  As a child she was diagnosed with the auto-immune system deficiency,
  Myasthenia gravis.
  
  The illness made her weak and she had to take constant medication.
  
  Doctors had told her she was too ill to hold down a job, but she had never
  been registered as disabled, so she lived without disability benefit.
  
  Sky's political correspondent Sophy Ridge said: "Downing Street isn't
  commenting on what it says is a personal matter but clearly this will lead to
  calls for the policy to be changed.
  
  "Downing Street knows it is controversial. That's why some amendments have
  been made to the policy already, saying armed services personnel and foster
  carers won't be affected.
  
  "Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has argued consistently
  that he thinks this policy is a fair one, but certainly I think this row is
  going to keep going."
  
  The Samaritans says that "although a catalyst may
  appear to be obvious, suicide is never the result of a single factor or event
  and is likely to have several inter-related causes".
  
• ====================================
  

Why did not this Woman claim disability allowance, or her Family help her claim??? The Samaritans comment is fair , every one is going to make the most of this now.