A grandmother threw herself in front of a speeding lorry because she could not afford to pay the government's controversial new bedroom tax, she said in her suicide note.
Stephanie Bottrill had lived in her council house in Solihull, West Midlands, for 18 years, raising two children there.
Ten days ago, aged 53, she killed herself on the northbound M6 motorway, and in her suicide note wrote, "I don't [blame] anyone for my death except the government."
After the government's new housing benefit reform, dubbed the bedroom tax, came into effect, she found herself having to find an extra £20 a week to pay for two under used bedrooms when her £320 a month housing benefit was cut.
Under the reforms, those in social housing with a spare bedroom can have their housing benefit slashed by £40-£80 a month.
Her relatives say that no suitable alternative accommodation was offered to her.
In the days before her death she had told neighbours: "I can't afford to live any more."
Her son Stephen, 27, 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."
He said that his mother had been diagnosed with auto immune deficiency illness Myasthenia gravis as a child, which left her weak and in need of constant medication.
Despite doctors telling her that she was too ill to work, she never registered as disabled so was not entitled to extra state support.
Solihull Council Labour group leader David Jamieson, who knows the family, told Sky News: "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 Samaritans said 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".
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Well the Samaritans seem to have put their foot in it.... Are they funded by the government ??
That's what I though VG, why are they making excuses for the government, most charity organisations are on the payroll these days, so they must be funded by them.
The Samaritans are out of their depth when it comes to people with medical conditions. They are known to be useless for these people so they really are not in a position to comment. It makes me so angry when I hear them use this excuse for every case.
What on earth is this world coming to why are we having to live like this when we worked all our lives and paid national insurance for what. I can not wait until this government are gone and hope they never get back in again David Cameron should be ashamed of himself he knows first hand what it is like to live with a disability(his son).That poor lady and her family if only she would have sought help bless her. well after reading that about Samaritans there will plenty of people who wont trust them again. This is all so wrong
Samaritans don't receive any funding at all from the government - the organisation is entirely voluntary. They have no ties with the government in any way, nor any party loyalties
If you read the statement again, it does not make an excuse for the Govt. - it merely states a medical fact.
Whilst the statement made at this time might appear a little tactless, it's true that suicide is rarely a result of one particular issue - in this case it appears to be a 'straw that broke the camel's back' situation.
Shameful indeed that this poor lady was driven to make this final protest by the imposition of this iniquitous tax. If only someone had advised her that she could have claimed some extra benefit!
No, they don't receive anything at all from central Government.
They get a tax break of 25p per pound from Gift Aid - I suppose that could loosely be classed as government funding, but it hardly makes them a Government lackey.
It makes much of how the Government are spending £1.5 million on 'RESEARCH' into the causes of suicide.
Basically, they are funding already well-paid desk-jockeys to find evidence which we already have. We know that people commit suicide because they are miserable and in despair. The fact that this may be due to the Government reducing them to abject penury is tactfully ignored!
a waste of money which could be put to better use. any halfwit could appreciate why suicide happens. shame the halfwits in Govt still have their heads stuck firmly up their own backsides
I understand why the Govt has initiated the bedroom tax, but they could do it with more velvet glove than iron fist.
Such a tragedy this woman was driven to this action. I wonder why she never registered as disabled?
Is that the I.5 million saved by charging the bedroom tax ????
I bet they've saved a hell of a lot more than £1.5 million from the cuts in benefits all round!
I read that article... No where does it say people may commit suicide due to extreme poverty so if they don't look at that what good will it do.......... We don't drink drive or smoke my OH can only work part time due to his health and we are finding it harder to manage all the time
Any time the finger is pointed at the government for wrong doing, the first thing they do is set up a body to investigate. That's why the government is doing this research on suicide, to produce a report that ignores the fact that most deaths are caused as a direct result of their criminal actions, more commonly known as a cover up. Then they send finished report to the media to inform the public how great they all are by trying to help people who they are responsible for killing in the first place.
How sad that this has happened. Not only for the poor lady and her family but also the driver who was involved. It must have had a terrible effect on him as well.
In their aim to save money the govn. seems to find it to spend on all the wrong things. It makes me so angry.
I feel for this poor woman who could find no way out other than to kill herself, her family must be devastated it so sad. We too like many on benefits just can't afford to live as such anymore, finding an extra £80 per month has actually taken a big lump out of our eating/clothing budget . The government need to sit up and smell the coffee for this bedroom tax is robbing the poor and causing even more stress and worry to people like us who can't afford to pay it.
I don't like what the Samaritans have written and they are so wrong, quite shocking really, I lost a child ten years ago, I'm not ashamed to say I tried it, I wanted out cos the pain was suffocating me, this was the only reason for my attempt, which now luckily wasn't successful...
I hate having to pay for her bedroom, her sister is away from home too and is living in a special needs residential unit, I don't get any dla, although that may change given my recent diagnosis (fibro and not just a bad back)
it wouldn't surprise me that we find later this poor woman had a disability or mental health issue, she must have been distraught and have been seeking help before this action....
According to the news, this poor lady was indeed ill, and was unaware that she could have claimed benefits. I'm surprised that her family didn't take more care of her to see that she got all she was entitled to.
She had apparently not been well for many years and the bedroom tax pushed her over the edge. Her son said that she had been alright until this time, but I suspect she had been very far from alright!
I can't help thinking that in this instance, the Samaritan's spokesperson was not skilled at public relations, and just spoke the truth, without thinking that it might have sounded tactless.
It is true that people rarely become suicidal for one single reason, the notable exception being the loss of a child. Personally, I feel that this is the most bitter blow that anyone can suffer, and I feel for those who have to struggle through this most cruel bereavement.
Ellejm - I am so sorry for your loss, and I can see why you must have looked for an end to the pain. Now you are being faced with having to pay for the sadly empty room - it must be very hard for you.
I very much hope that this unfortunate bit of PR doesn't deter anyone from calling Samaritans if they are in despair - like all humans they are not immune to error, but they are committed to trying to lower the incidence of suicide among distressed people.
how sad but that is what is going to happen its really sad to say but this goverment stink changing all the benefits and things alot of people cant deal with change especially wen u have got a illness like fibro u have enough to cope with my rant over
I'm sure it says at the top of the benefits notification: what the government says you need to live on and gives an amount. Surely if they are now taking money off people then they are not getting what the government says they need. I hope this makes sense. Maybe there is a way it can be checked out. I get my pension so, thankfully, I am not affected, but I have friends and family who are
suicide is never the result of a single factor or event and is likely to have several inter-related causes".
i think it is true because the poor woman like most of us had lots of problem and top of that bedroom tax bill yes this is not one factor or event. when you have illness you cannot cop with so many problem i am frustrated it is happened again.
I don't wish to have a go at you, but suicide is the result of a single factor, especially when that factor is your only means of survival. We know she had an illness, but she never once thought of taking her own life because of that. She was happy being able to get by on what she had.
Losing the money she needed to live on when she was already struggling to survive proved to much for her to take. She probably thought like most people would in that situation, do I freeze to death or die of starvation? tough choice to make that one.
I have no doubt that woman would be alive today if the government had not put her in this position. That is the only factor in this tragedy in my mind.
Unless of course, if you can tell me how people can survive in a capitalist society without money, and in poor health so work is not an option, then I might accept your more than one factor theory.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of this poor lady. She must have felt so distraut aand threatened by this ridiculous tax. God Bless her xgins
This poor, poor woman. But I can't help wondering why her children couldn't have helped her a bit? Could she have not moved in with 1 of them? Maybe it was inconvenient, but I do wish she'd have searched out some help. It's very, very sad......XX
Not all families are supportive. Some are too busy working and making ends meet and others just don't care enough. I know my family don't give a damn and they know I am ill. If I died tomorrow, one ot two might shed a few tears but life would go on. Guilt wouldn't even cross their mind. xx
Thing is people need to have some kind of independence , it's not for everyone to want to live with other people. I know because I don't mind my kids living with me but I'm not sure i would want to live with them or anyone else. This bedroom tax has hit everyone and also the benefits cuts effect everyone claiming. Also everyone on benefits pays council tax too now. So it seems every corner . It's so unfair . People on benefits are incredibly hard up. There's nothing left. I'm on housing benefits and working tax, so I know how hard up other people unemployed are and it's crazy affording anything. I keep looking at my washer and thinking, don't you dare break down . There's no way I can afford another. So when there's cuts,, how'd do we keep warm in winter or fix something. It's so unfair ,, this poor lady probably couldn't take anymore. She was probably already suffering and this tipped her over the edge ,,poor woman ,, my heart goes out to those family members ,,, I lost my friend at 21 he topped himself over money and depression. I still think about him . He taught me a lesson, I don't get emotional about money if I can't pay something I don't get distraught . As long as council tax rent and water are paid everything else can wait if it comes to it . If I can't pay my catalogue tv licence or telephone bill ,, because of some mishap I don't care about it they have to wait till I can. My friends life meant so much more than bloody money , I know people get in a state I have one once when housing benefits suspended my benefits and I couldn't pay my rent I remember it well. But I don't as a rule let it get to me as I know if your living hand to mouth it's unreal what money can do to you. Life is so much more. Poor poor woman,,x x God bless ,, hope she in a happier place x
I must be the lucky one jjojay, I don't pay any council tax, I live in North Wales and the Welsh gov was able to find the shortfall this year. But it's soooo sad to see people taking their own lives, how desperate they must have been. It's a terrible reflection on what this gov are doing! My heart goes out to them all. I thank God every night for what I have XX
So sad that this poor lady was driven to this. I suppose that it did not help that she had no partner to share her troubles with. She more than likely did not want to burden her children like most parents. Shame on the government. Perhaps they want all these properties for immigrants with big families expecting to come to Britain next year, or the ones that are already here!.
However, If everyone refused to pay this tax, I wonder what steps and how long it would take councils to evict tenants. Once evicted, where would they put them? x
It's a good idea not to pay the BT, the only problem is, most people affected are on benefits so they can deduct it at source. It is very wrong to tax people for being in a situation that is beyond their control. I would say the BT was fair if properties were available to accommodate everyone, but they have no properties available to re-home people.
To make the tax fair on everyone, I think the council should have to offer you a home in the area where you live that meets your needs. Then you have a choice, pay the tax or move into the smaller property. That's how it should work IMO.
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Makes your heart hurt......x
Is the bedroom tax applicable to those living in their own houses?
Bedroom tax
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