- His family only pieced together his predicament
- after discovering a repossession order
- in the bin.
- He had lived in the house all his life.
- The order,
- dated 13 September 2013,
- gave him ten days to leave.
- He suffered from mental health problems
- including agoraphobia.
- He had worked
- as an assistant sales manager
- in the 80s but
- after leaving
- he failed to find further employment.
- Depression
- and a suicide attempt
- followed;
- 1989, an overdose
- which damaged his vision.
- (He was registered as partially blind
- in 1994.)
- After this he never worked again.
- ‘He was never extravagant,
- didn’t go on holiday,
- never had a car,’
- his sister said.
- His benefits were stopped in December 2012
- after an assessment
- found him fit for work.
- ‘He couldn’t ask for help.
- He didn’t want to be a burden on anyone.’
- Relatives believe he lived off his savings
- until the money ran out.
- It was his sister who found his body,
- two days before the eviction date,
- hanging in his hallway.
[Stourbridge News, 26/12/2013, Disabled Kinver man killed himself after being left “almost destitute” when his state benefits were axed]