A retired gardener took his own life after a change in the benefits system that left him owing more than £800 to his local council in London, an inquest has heard.
Newham council admitted a failure to deal with Malcolm Burge’s benefit issue because of the backlog of cases after the change.
Burge, 66, who lived in a lodge at the City of London cemetery, wrote to the council telling them he was “depressed, stressed and suicidal”, saying: “I have no savings or assets. I am not trying to live, I am trying to survive.”
Shortly afterwards, he drove to Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, where he killed himself in his car. Speaking after his inquest at Bridgwater, Somerset, his sister, Carol Higdon, said: “He was a very quiet and proud man. We knew nothing about all this until after his death.”
The Guardian: Retired gardener takes his own life after change in benefits system, inquest hears
Comments
Awful thing to happen, this is what you get when a country becomes hugely overpopulated and has all it's services constantly at breaking point. And it's usually people like this who get left at the bottom of the pile and sadly it's too late for this chap who worked hard all his life. I blame successive governments for all these problems and I don't expect things to get any better.
Tragic on so many levels, not least of all that £800 isn't that much money to a council and that if he'd been 'noticed' earlier they could have put his mind at ease.
Like many, I'm appalled at that story and I suspect it is not unique. Personally sad that no appranent support was given or his situation was not red-flagged to an organisation such as Perennial.
It shows we need to look out for our collegues and raise the profile of organisations that can help them as it looks like we are all on own in these times of austerity.
Finally, never, never think it could not happen to you. An injury, a change in personal circumstances, loss of work etc could put anyone of us into a similar situation.
Cutting benefits so that, the wealthy do not have to pay their fair share, this is the real reason behind this tragedy. This ought to be a verdict of manslaughter and those who failed this man held to account. I am utterly appalled that he was so badly let down.
Even more galling today, when we hear of the tax dodging facilitated by HSBC. There really are some serious questions that need answering about the appointment of the former boss of HSBC as business minister.