Gill’s brother died after his benefits were cut, and now she can take the government to court over his death
In http://politicalscrapbook.net/2016/03/gills-brother-died-after-his-benefits-were-cut-and-now-she-can-take-the-government-to-court-over-his-death/
Originally published by LDDA - The Liberal Democrat Disability Association
Gill Thompson was outside the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) yesterday, with a banner of names of people she says have died due to benefit sanctions - including her brother David Clapson.
Three years ago, in July 2013, David was found dead in his flat by his sister. He had £3.44 in his bank account and the electricity had been cut off, hence the insulin he had kept in his fridge to stay alive was useless. He had died from diabetic ketoacidosis - caused by an acute lack of insulin.
The 59-year-old had served as a soldier in Belfast when younger, and found it difficult to get a job. Two weeks before he died, the DWP had sanctioned him for a month after he missed two appointments. His weekly Job Seekers Allowance payments had been stopped.