Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

Link to story. For every one that makes the news there are many more who lose the will to carry on, though we don't hear their stories. I am very saddened to read about this man.

Re: Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

yes sad - I've been working in the 'suicide' treatment area for a long time and even today it is still a mystery. A mystery in why some contemplate and others don't, and I don't accept the diagnosis 'weak-willed'. Even the time and day are a mystery although there is some evidence that early morning can be a 'dark' period.

It would seem that with the help of his doctor and ex he may have convinced the hearing of his need. At one time doctors assessments were enough make a decision one way or other but now not even doctors are trusted to do this and independent assessors are used who nevertheless can take a doctors report into account.

This man seemed to be a lonely guy and this is were real good friends are vital to us all, to help us through those dark moments.

Re: Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

Mindbender .... I worked at a well know suicide line for many years and you hit the nail on the head lack of friends that you can trust and who care enough to allow you to get your worries off your cheast is a key factor to how far down that line you go. Feeling Isolated is soul destroying. Few people realise the power of talking .....

Re: Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

It is extremely sad but also inevitable and, for me, this sums it up: "These people can not see any way forward at all, they live to exist, without luxury, often choosing between eating and heating. What type of civilised nation would allow sick and disabled people to feel that insecure that they choose to end their life. It's so sad it's gut-wrenching politics."

It is when the way forward no longer exists, the thought will arrive that if there is no way forward then why continue the journey. For some people, existing, even at subsistence level, is better than nothing; others feel there has to be something better than that ordeal for the rest of their lives and maybe the degredation of being reduced to subsistence is just too much to bear.

We like to think our civilisation has moved on but it hasn't. Even during the miscalled Dark Ages, no-one was left to face life alone, neighbours and friends would be there, providing meals, support and help - the rich and the church were duty-bound to ensure the poorest didn't go without food. You don't hear many stories like that nowadays.

Re: Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

The story doesn't add up. He was paralysed all down his left side, but was going out for a drink, then managed to shoot himself, hmmmmmmmmmmmm. I can see why a benefit cut was considered!

Re: Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

Just a wild guess but maybe the right side of him worked fine? I have worked (voluntarily) with the physically and mentally disabled and they do manage to have a drink and socialise but it doesn't equate that they would also be able to hold down a job.

Re: Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

the newspaper article stated that he had been paralyzed down the left side for over a decade. I am assuming that since the haemorrhage and subsequent paralysis of the left side that he had not just lain in bed for a decade not moving. yes paralyzed persons can move - slowly but move they can and usually needing a walking aid which was not mentioned to that detail.

but are we not quibbling - he lived alone, was going for a drink and therefore had a degree of mobility and despite his wifes offer of help and doctors support he just could not face it all. Yes it does add up very much if you have worked in this area at all!

Re: Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

What doesn't add up? Are you saying that people on disability benefits shouldn't be allowed to socialise and do the things that "normal" people do? That is exactly what Disability Living Allowance is for - to help disabled people live more normally through the provision of mobility aids etc etc. My wife doesn't drink, but she does like to go to the occasional concert when we can afford it - should she have a benefit cut because she likes to do "normal" things when she can?

Re: Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

Sadly genuine disabled are getting caught up in the purge of people who are not genuinely disabled but scamming the system.

What should have happen IMO is take back from those who are scamming to give more to genuinely disabled who cannot work.

A neighbour of ours seems able to work on his car, drink himself stupid, carry shopping and walk his 3 rotties (strong dogs who seem to pull quite badly), last week locked himself out and climbed a ladder and got in through an upstairs window. Now he needs IMO to be working - hells bells he moves better than me or my husband who both work and get no benefits, but he claims everything he can and hasn't worked in many years now.

I am all for really disabled people being well paid and able to live reasonable lives but we have to stop the scammers who are bringing the system down.

Re: Disabled man kills self after benefits cut

My husband was paralysed all the way down his right side after his brain haemorrhage, but with great determination managed to get himself walking again, although half his brain is completely trashed. Naturally we expected DLA to be cut when he achieved this, and it was, which is fair enough.