woman commits suicide, blames bedroom tax

velvet · 12-05-2013, 04:03 PM

http://news.sky.com/story/1089813/be...womans-suicide

A woman who committed suicide left a note blaming the Government's so-called bedroom tax for her death.Stephanie Bottrill, who killed herself earlier this month, 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. She was 53.
In the days running up to her death she had told neighbours: "I can't afford to live any more."
Describing her case as a "tragedy", shadow chancellor Ed Balls told Sky News' Murnaghan programme the bedroom tax was "driving people to the edge of despair in their many thousands across the country".
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 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 she could not cope with the extra £80 she had to find every month.

**AgnesIO** · 12-05-2013, 04:22 PM

So the preview for this thread title in New Posts was "woman commits suicide, blames bedroom" haha

Sad case, although she must have been pretty on the edge already - cannot believe she went from being fine to suicide.

**dbgtz** · 12-05-2013, 05:40 PM

£80... Tad extreme to kill yourself over. To be honest, people should be lucky to get any sort of benefits at all.

Ardemax · 12-05-2013, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by dbgtz

people should be lucky to get any sort of benefits at all.

There's Tom's liberal side crawling out again.

Mikey · 12-05-2013, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by dbgtz

£80... Tad extreme to kill yourself over. To be honest, people should be lucky to get any sort of benefits at all.

This.

Also surely if you can afford to pay the tax for the extra bedrooms then you go and find another house that has lesser that you can use your benefits on? Bit silly in my opinion..

velvet · 12-05-2013, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by Mikey

This.

Also surely if you can afford to pay the tax for the extra bedrooms then you go and find another house that has lesser that you can use your benefits on? Bit silly in my opinion..

she tried lol

**FlyingJesus** · 12-05-2013, 06:29 PM

As sad as this obviously is I think it's totally ridiculous that this is being portrayed as something that's somehow targeted poor old women. People in far worse poverty for more genuine reasons (tip: if you have 2 spare rooms and you're not working, get a lodger or two) commit suicide every day and get no recognition because it's just not seen as politically important when it's a young homeless man or just someone who didn't write a daft letter blaming the government for their own shortcomings