Double amputee killed himself after benefits slashed, say anguished family

First topic message reminder :



A DOUBLE amputee died in an apparent suicide fewer than 48 hours after being told an allowance to pay his carer was being slashed by two thirds, his sister claims.

Mark Cotton, 54, had lost both his legs due to a medical condition and relied on paid help which had been agreed with the authorities.

But he was visited for a re-assessment and four days later received a telephone call to say the allowance for paid care was being cut from nine hours a week to only three.

Fewer than 48 hours later he was found dead at his home in Sevenoaks Mead, Allerton, Bradford, after apparently taking an overdose of the painkillers he needed because of his illness.

His sister Jjeneen Sherington said he had left a note and hit out: "They are the cause of his death in my eyes.

"He would still have been here if this hadn't happened".

Mr Cotton lost one leg in 2010 and returned to work in a teaching role after that but his deteriorating health meant his remaining leg was amputated in 2012.

Even before the second amputation he had needed care and Jjeneen was paid for nine hours a week, though said in reality she spent more time assisting him and could not work as a result.

"When he was told he was being re-assessed he thought because his circumstances were worse, they might give him more money.
PROMOTED STORIES

Recommended by

"Then they phoned to say they were reducing his money," she said.

That worked out as a reduction in paid for care from nine to three hours a week, she said, and during his re-assessment interview, Mark had been asked if he could do his own ironing while sitting down, one of the tasks normally done by his sister.

"We were going to fight the decision, through Citizens' Advice and his MP," she said.

"He had loved his work and wanted to get back to a job. He had put himself through university and had started a course to learn a foreign language in the hope of being able to teach that, but his health meant he had to give it up.

"He had always worked and put into the country, but this was what he got back.

"The paramedics said he must have been in a lot of pain, because of the medication he had been given," she said.

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: “We are aware of the tragic death of Mr Cotton, who was known to Bradford Adult Services, and our thoughts are with his family.

“Investigations will be carried out into the circumstances of this case and it would be inappropriate to comment until those investigations have been completed,” he said.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed that a 54-year-old man was found dead after a call was made for an ambulance at 8.17am on Thursday, with no suspicious circumstances.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/11604492.Double_amputee_killed_himself_after_benefits_slashed__say_anguished_family/?ref=twtrec

And they are planning more cuts, they don't give a fuck about people dying, they probably clap.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Brasidas wrote:

To further prove my point Irn.
How disgusting is the comment above and again making an unfounded accusation?
Where were you to question this?
It just proves you are a hypocritical and two faced

In your own time

Yes, it was a silly comment. I suppose the problem is that the people who are dealing with the financial side of disability benefits can't get emotionally involved. They have to stick to the rules and to budgetary constraints.

Which is ther point I am making where a moderator here trying to act all ethical is showing up how hypocrtical he is where he ignores other unfounded claims and he only speaks out to some posters and not others.
That shows a clear poor bias on his part.

Brasidas wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Brasidas wrote:

How is that shameful if it turned out to be true.
Do you have evidence to refute this?
So how is it shaemful and no different to the daft claims you make trying to blame the Goverment?
You see at every pointy you just expose yourself as a hypocritical dick Irn

No Didge, you picked up on this story and tried to use it to paint his sister as only being interested in money. That is shameful even more so because you don't even know how much money would be lost or who it was actually paid to.

No Irn I question the babble you lefties were spouting and were using as per usual as a means to make a pathetic political argument, it seems you lefties often use the deaths pf people to attack others and yet when this is turned on its head, you scream like banshees.
So I really could not care as to what you think being as you openly support a terrorist group in Hamas which oies against the wlel being and equality of people. I suggest you look at your own views before you start to judge others.
Again I am not the vile little commie who uses such deaths to make a political argument, only a pathetic commie does.

Ah, diverting to your favourite subject again? This isn't about me it's about the mans sister who you are trying to paint as someone who is only interested in the money without any evidence to back it up. As usual when your stuck you just turn to abuse and throw a wobbly.

I'll leave you wallow in that because I have work to do and I'm sure you must have as well so don't let me keep you back.

Catch you later.

Irn Bru wrote:

Brasidas wrote:

No Irn I question the babble you lefties were spouting and were using as per usual as a means to make a pathetic political argument, it seems you lefties often use the deaths pf people to attack others and yet when this is turned on its head, you scream like banshees.
So I really could not care as to what you think being as you openly support a terrorist group in Hamas which oies against the wlel being and equality of people. I suggest you look at your own views before you start to judge others.
Again I am not the vile little commie who uses such deaths to make a political argument, only a pathetic commie does.

Ah, diverting to your favourite subject again? This isn't about me it's about the mans sister who you are trying to paint as someone who is only interested in the money without any evidence to back it up. As usual when your stuck you just turn to abuse and throw a wobbly.

I'll leave you wallow in that because I have work to do and I'm sure you must have as well so don't let me keep you back.

Catch you later.

Pathetic excuse, you have been exposed for your poor double standards, now job on you pathetic child and stop wasting my time.
At least people can see past your poor bias, where you show no balance where others made unfounded claims on here.

Exposed