According to the mother of a single father who committed himself, waiting for a payment from Universal Credit was “the final nail in the coffin.”
The debt accumulated by Phillip Herron, 34, reached £20,000, including payday loans with 100% interest, and his kids informed their grandma that Santa hadn’t visited the previous year.
As he awaited the reward, all that was left in his bank account was £4.61. The initial payment typically takes five weeks to arrive because it is paid monthly in arrears.
In order to care for his three children, Phillip left his job in a factory, but he soon found himself behind on his rent and struggling to provide for them.
He uploaded a photo of himself sobbing in his car just moments before he committed suicide on March 18.
His mother, Sheena Derbyshire, 54, told the Mirror that making already desperate families wait for funds for such a long time is risky.
In his suicide letter, he claimed that his family would benefit more from his absence.
He was an only parent. He was accountable. The kids enjoyed the best of everything because he had money in the past.
The coalition government implemented Universal Credit in 2013 to replace a multiplicity of benefits with a single payment.
In the weeks following Phillip’s passing, Mrs. Derbyshire only learned how desperate Phillip’s financial condition had become.
His debt was described in letters left at his house, and he had also received an eviction notice.
The Department for Work and Pensions released the following statement: “Our thoughts are with Mr. Herron’s family.”
It would be incorrect to link suicide merely to a person’s benefit claim because it is a very complex subject.
“We are committed to providing the highest level of protection for vulnerable claimants, and we keep advice under regular review.”
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