12 the next day she took her five-month-old son in her arms

Six months after having her income cut off and housing benefit withdrawn

she was sharing her sister’s one-bedroom flat

destitute

with a baby to care for.

32 years old,

a Frenchwoman

living in Britain

since 1997.

In 2008 she graduated

with a degree in philosophy.

She found she was pregnant.

She looked for work.

The Department told her

the fact that she was within 11 weeks of giving birth

disqualified her;

she was not in a fit condition to work.

She was told to apply for income support.

But she had an eight-month period in 2003

when she had been working in a cafe,

and had no records to prove it;

her claim was turned down.

Appealed;

turned down.

She applied for child benefit;

rejected.

Hackney council demanded she repay

200 pounds in housing benefit

she had been given

just as her Jobseeker’s allowance

was being taken away.

She applied to take the Department to tribunal

but repeatedly failed to be given a date

for the hearing.

She was desperate.

Her last attempt to get a date from the tribunal service

took place on 12 June.

The next day she took her five-month-old son in her arms

and jumped from the flat’s sixth-floor balcony.