THE family of a woman who threatened suicide over benefits sanctions fear the system will push her to end her life. The mother-of-four, who has been diagnosed with depression, told relatives she was considering drastic action when her funds were stopped after she missed an appointment.
We have agreed to refer to Sarah and her concerned sister Katie by only first names to avoid increasing the stress on the vulnerable woman, who siblings believe has an undiagnosed autistic spectrum disorder, and so as not to identify her children.
The Dundee woman once aspired to a career in nursing, but her mental health problems prevented her from completing her studies. Now 50, she also has back problems caused by a former care job and lives alone following the break-up of her marriage, which led to her children living with their father.
The benefit suspension was enacted a month ago after depression led to her missing a scheduled appointment, a decision overturned following help from Citizens Advice.
However, yesterday the family told The National the “blanket approach” by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was increasing Sarah’s isolation and further sanctions could cost her her life.
Katie said: “She was on Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and lost both of them so got to the point she was in contact with the family saying she was suicidal.
“She’s quite a dysfunctional person. She lives on her own and she doesn’t manage very well. She can’t use a computer and she can’t even use her remote control for her television very well. I suspect she has Aspergers and she has depression and has been told she can’t have any higher medication.
“When she’s depressed she doesn’t want to go out. She doesn’t really clean her house, she doesn’t eat well. She doesn’t have a landline and rarely has money on her mobile phone. She was on the phone saying she had no money and was suicidal.
“Our mother committed suicide and she is more like our mother than the rest of us. I quite believe she could carry that out. She should not be put in that position by the state. We dread it will happen again.”
Londoner Michael O’Sullivan, 60, took his own life in 2013 after being assessed as fit to work despite doctors warning of recurrent depression. The death is one of many cases that have been linked to the benefits regime. JSA claimants are assigned work coaches to help their search for jobs and required to report to a Jobcentre Plus office regularly, normally once every fortnight.
During these appointments, claimants must demonstrate the actions they are taking to find a post.
However, Katie says Sarah’s lack of computer skills and trouble interacting with others are major barriers to employment and mean she faces a near-impossible struggle to get a job.
Katie said: “It’s very demoralising going in and she doesn’t want to face it but she has to. She seems to be on a borderline where people think that she is fine because they are not visible problems. She doesn’t talk about the problems she has in a way that might make sense. It is very difficult to get straight answers from her and so very difficult to help.
“But the Jobcentre staff don’t go into the details of individual cases, they have blanket tickboxes. Sarah’s mental situation can change through small circumstances and our concern is that the sanction happens again and pushes her back.”
Earlier this year the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) called for the DWP to adopt a “more supportive and effective system for people with mental ill-health”, stating: “The current assessment of people with mental ill-health, what benefits and therefore which work programme they are signposted to, are deeply flawed.”
The campaigning charity, which supports people across the country, published its Fit For Purpose report in July, documenting the toll the welfare system has had on 15 individuals.
Launching the paper, Joanna Cherry MP said the findings were “distressing” and called for a review of welfare procedures.
Last night the DWP requested Sarah’s National Insurance number and other personal details in order to “investigate” the case.
After The National refused, a spokesperson said: “Benefit support for people with mental health conditions is rightfully tailored to their individual circumstances and we would have liked the opportunity to look into this case. Sanctions are only ever used as a last resort and claimants are given every opportunity to explain why they failed to meet their agreed commitments.”
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