RIP Julia Kelly: Another Tragic Suicide After DWP Threats

A woman who founded a charity to help people suffering with chronic pain committed suicide after a battle to claim disability benefits ended with the DWP demanding that she repay £4000 in backdated payments.

Julia Kelly was just 39 when she took ker own life at the end of last year. In an inquest into her death the Northampton Chronicle reported that the coronor believed the “upset caused by the potential withdrawal of her benefits had been the trigger for her to end her life.”

According to a statement made by her father at the inquest, Ms Kelly had attended three tribunals in her attempts to gain disability benefits. Mr Kelly said he “firmly believed” correspondance from the DWP triggered her death adding:

“Not to be believed by the DWP that she was suffering chronic back pain and also to be accused of wrongdoing and be told her payments might be stopped – we believe she snapped and could not take it any more.”

Despite this the DWP made a nasty statement which attempts to suggest she had thousands of pounds and was therefore not eligible for out of work disability benefits. According to a spokesperson for the department “If a claimant exceeds the threshold with thousands of pounds in savings, they may no longer be entitled to the benefit.” It would not take three tribunals to establish how much someone had in savings. There is far more to this than the DWP are suggesting.

The news of the inquest into her death comes on the same day that Iain Duncan Smith said that stopping people’s benefit is ‘compassionate’.

The charity founded by Julia Kelly, which her father has said he will continue, can be found at: http://www.awaywithpain.co.uk/ Please support them if you can, they are also on twitter @awaywithpain

https://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/rip-julia-kelly-another-tragic-suicide-after-dwp-threats/

More blood on that bastards hands.

I'd like to know more about these savings as she was presumably on means tested benefits. If she did have a lot of savings, it makes no difference if they believed she had chronic pain or not.

This business about chronic pain pisses me off. People just can't seem to find a reason for it half the time, and I think that it's sometimes due to a wrong diagnosis. That's not the fault of doctors, but there must surely be loads of tests they can do to find out what exactly is wrong with someone.

She didn't, they'd had three investigations already, they have said that to try and cover their backs over yet another suicide - again.

Just googled her. She'd had two car accidents, in which she was injured, so that explains the pain. There must be better ways of managing this kind of thing.

risingsun wrote:She didn't, they'd had three investigations already, they have said that to try and cover their backs over yet another suicide - again.

Would they normally demand the money back just because they decided someone was fit for work?

Would she not have gone on JSA instead anyway?

I've just read that and it makes me mad when I remember this...

Douglas Alexander spent more than £30,000 doing up his constituency home – which then suffered damage in a house fire. Claimed the cost of hiring a “media trainer” on his office expenses. Spent taxpayers’ money on advertising at football and rugby league matches.

Graham Allen claimed £495 for service charge on London flat and the maximum £400 for food on most occasions. Food claims reduced when he twice tried to claim over £500 a month

David Amess's mortgage interest claims on London flat did not waver from £600. Claimed the maximum food allowance of £400 a month. In July 2004, £600 claim was cut by £200

Michael Ancram put the cost of having his swimming pool boiler serviced on his parliamentary allowances. He has agreed to repay the money and written to supporters to apologise

David Anderson: By April 2006, his mortgage interest costs were £1,203. Claimed for furniture, washing machine and microwave. Claimed between £200 and £400 a month in food

Janet Anderson admitted claiming £6,250 too much in petty cash through her office expenses

James Arbuthnot claimed from the public finances for cleaning his swimming pool at a country residence. He has agreed to repay the money

That's just a sample. The larger list is here...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5297606/MPs-expenses-Full-list-of-MPs-investigated-by-the-Telegraph.html

And how many got off with having to pay back what they took or just some of it - Maria Miller for one.

Grrrrrrrr

Bloody sick isn't it.

risingsun wrote:Bloody sick isn't it.

It is. And remember Duncan Smith's £39 quid breakfast's paid for by the taxpayer as well.

The expenses thing was scandalous, but that has nothing to do with this subject.

Come on Irn, they were all at it, Tory and Labour. Not fair to just pick on one.