Benefits Changes and Suicide Rate

Today was a bad day. I came up with a new way of killing myself - two actually. What sparked this? The changes to benefits being made in the UK. 

Just to head off some of the 'bashers', let me say that until I became mentally ill a couple of years ago I had been in full-time employment for more than 25 years, paying full Tax, National Insurance and receiving no tax breaks or benefits because I am single and childless.

I live on less than £70 a week at present (this has to cover all my bills - heat, light, water, food etc.). Today I was told that amount would, effectively, be reduced to below £65 a week, because in April I will be expected to start paying 'at least' £20 a month in Council Tax on top of my other living costs. (I am actually one of the luckier ones, because I won't also be having to downsize due to changes in Housing Benefits, as I already live in a single-bedroomed flat, and without the disability benefit I receive I would be living off less than £50 a week).

I asked what happens when I can't pay my Council Tax come April; I was told 'we don't get training on that until next Wednesday'. Currently UK law puts you in prison if you don't pay your Council Tax. So, potentially, I get to gain a criminal record and a period in jail; in turn I might well lose my 'social housing' home as I won't get any housing benefit if I am in prison and will fall into arrears sufficient to get me evicted.

So, no great surprise really that I was feeling suicidal earlier today and was too afraid to come back to my home because there were just too many ways in the place for me to carry out my own execution.

I also had both of my mental health supporters withdrawn last Autumn because funding for those services was pulled.

Yeah, obviously I am a 'scrounger' and our UK politicians are just building a 'fairer society'.