Sickening

[Hopeless Romantic]

A mother jumped to her death, killing herself and her baby son, because her benefits were stopped while she was pregnant, an inquest heard.

Graduate Christelle Pardo, 32, plunged from the balcony of her sister's third-floor flat in Hackney, where she had been staying, while clutching five-month old Kayjah to her chest.

Ms Pardo, from France, had been claiming jobseeker's allowance after leaving London Metropolitan University in May last year after studying philosophy for four years.

She became pregnant at around the same time and was told in December that because she was within 11 weeks of giving birth she could no longer claim the allowance because she was considered unable to work.

Ms Pardo was advised to apply for income support, but her bid was rejected because the Department for Work and Pensions said she had not proved that she had been in continuous employment in the UK for the previous five years. Her housing benefit was also suspended by Hackney borough.

Ms Pardo applied to take the DWP to a tribunal. She repeatedly phoned, asking for a tribunal date. Her last call was on 12 June, the day before her death.

Ms Pardo's sister, Olaya Pardo, told Poplar coroner's court: "She was upset and wanted a date for her tribunal.

"She was stressed about her benefits. She didn't want her son to feel all the stress that she was going through with the paperwork.

"We talked sister to sister and she told me how she was feeling. She said she was upset because she felt that she didn't exist. If it had not been for me she would have been out on the street.

"Going back to France was like going back to another country. She was living here for so many years - this was her country."

Coroner Dr Andrew Reid said Ms Pardo had found herself in a "very parlous situation". He recorded a verdict of suicide for her and unlawful killing for her son.


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23778826-mother-jumped-to-death-with-her-baby-after-losing-benefits.do

[TheBigotBasher]

1. Please do not blame Hackney for this.

When Local Authorities are advised by the DWP that Pension Credit, Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance has ended, LAs administrating Housing / Council Tax Benefit are required by law to suspend the claim and find out what income the person is on.

[mackerel]

2. Clearly though the woman had mental health issues and may

have been on the edge.

[mackerel]

3. I mean to say that many factors most likely lead to making

such a dramatic decision. She may have had post par tum depression.

[T_i_B]

4. Being on the dole is one of those things that can cause depression.

[Hopeless Romantic]

5. I think it is reprehensible that a pregnant woman with a baby can be

left with no income, nothing, to fend for herself in 21st century Britain.

Is this the third world? Is this fucking Texas?

I blame Hackney, Labour, Blair, Brown, all of them, they are all cunts.

It's a fucking disgrace.

[Nihil]

6. And the two people you left off your list of female regenerative parts ...

... are the father of the child (legally responsible for the upkeep of
said child) and the woman herself (the person who deliberately killed
her child rather than go back to France).

I have no problem with suicide - sad as it is - as it is ultimately the
person's own choice (though I have seen how devastating it can be for
those left behind).

I have a real problem with any suicide attempt that is combined with murder.

I have also been on the receiving end of the indifference of DHSS/DWP
jobsworths and, combined with depression (from whatever cause), this can
easily result in tragedy.

That still doesn't make me blame Hackney, Labour, et al, for the sad decision
of this particular 32 year old adult who decided to kill herself and her baby
when there is a maximum of two people who deserve that blame.

[Hopeless Romantic]

7. Blimey!

Talking like a Tory

[Nihil]

12. Yeah ...

... Tories always defend Labour councils in London ...
:eyes:

[LeftishBrit]

8. This is indeed sickening

Of course, her way of responding was not the way of a mentally healthy person; but that does not mean that this sort of Thatcherite attitude by our supposedly Labour government is good for individuals or for the nation.

I do wonder, however, if the Standard would be so ready to report such a tragedy under a Tory council. This is a disease throughout the country, not just in Hackney. And Cameron will make it even worse.

[Hopeless Romantic]

9. Indeed. I note though that this story has not so far appeared in The Guardian or...

any other mainstream newspaper apart from Standard and the Mail, which is surprising (I would have thought that the Sun would have been all over it)

Also, I wonder if the posters on this board who were so very quick to defend Hackney and Labour would have been a tougher if the Tories had been in power when this happened.

I don't doubt for a moment that things would have been any better if the Tories had been in power for the last 13 years, but the fact is that Labour have been in power for 13 years and yet we still live in a country where this can happen. That is a disgrace.

[TheBigotBasher]

10. "I wonder if the posters on this board who were so very quick to defend Hackney"

Hackney, or any other Council yes. They operate within a legislative framework set by the DWP. With legislation for EU residents that owes much to case law from the European Courts and (formerly) Social Security Commissioners in the UK.

There is no real wriggle room for the LA on this, or even any future Government of any persuasion.

[T_i_B]

11. Well, it's like this

People who are living in poverty are much, much more likely to vote Labour then anyone else, which in turn means that the most deprived areas of Britain are almost all Labour strongholds. Hence the chances of this sort of thing hapening under a Labour authority are much, much greater then the chances of this sort of thing happening under a Tory council.

And I'm not at all concerned about the Standard reporting this. What worries me more is certain local rags such as the Sheffield Telegraph which focus almost completely on the trendier, leafier parts of town and try and paint as rosy a picture of the local area as possible. This sort of approach all too often paints something of a false picture of what is happening in a town or city.

[dipsydoodle]

13. Whilst the death of Ms Pardo and her son was sad

nothing changes the fact she simply wasn't entitled to benefits. Whatever the length of time she's been in the UK doesn't excuse why she didn't just return to France if she needed benefits.

I know enough English people who I'da thought were entitled to benefits they don't get without feeling sympathy for outsiders.