Samaritans called in over Liverpool bedroom tax suicide risk

City's housing associations say one tenant attempted suicide, with more people becoming distressed and overwhelmed

 

A bedroom tax protest in Liverpool in March this year

The Samaritans have been drafted in by Liverpool's Riverside Housing Association to help deal with desperate tenants on the brink of suicide because of the bedroom tax.

Staff at Riverside Housing Association’s head office in Speke are being trained by phone counsellors from the Samaritans as workers struggle to cope with the high volume of calls from tenants at risk of suicide.

And South Liverpool Homes (SLH) said in early May a tenant attempted suicide over the bedroom tax and earlier this year a resident committed suicide over issues believed to be related to financial hardship.

Head of business excellence at SLH Claire Ryan said: “People have become overwhelmed, they’re just engulfed by the financial situation.

“We were able to respond to the attempted suicide and support that person.

“We moved them to a smaller property which removed the impact of the bedroom tax.”

Ronnie Clawson, Riverside’s group corporate services director,  said staff first noticed a high level of distressed callers about six months ago.

He said: “It started with night staff who cover the out of hours service who had said they were picking up more calls from people who were in a distressed state and in some cases were saying they had had enough.
“Then advisors working other shifts said they were seeing similar issues.”

The social landlord contacted Samaritans to ask for training.

Mr Clawson said: “Since we started the training we have been contacted by a couple of other housing associations who have had similar issues.”

He said he thought the problems were the result of a number of welfare reforms, with bedroom tax having a big impact.

He said: “It’s a range of different issues and bedroom tax is one which affects six and a half thousand of our tenants so it’s clearly a significant factor.

“I think what we’re experiencing is the cumulative effect of the austerity measures.”

Samaritans’ executive director of fundraising and communications Rachel Kirby-Rider said: “Many of Riverside’s callers are vulnerable.

“And it’s to the credit of the organisation that they’re making a real effort to provide these people with the support they need.

“Riverside is one of the few housing associations providing this training for their staff.

“Samaritans has 60 years of experience in dealing with those unable to cope and we’re glad to be able to help Riverside provide a better service.”

The Samaritans can be called 24 hours a day on 08457 90 90 90.

I didn't know where to turn

Vanessa Putt, together with her daughter, Sommer, 15

 

The mum of a disabled daughter said worries over bedroom tax almost made her drop back into depression.

Vanessa Putt, 42, lives in a three-bedroom home in Garston with 15-year-old daughter Sommer –  who was born with only half her heart functioning.

Earlier this year she was told she could have to pay an extra £13 a week or lose her home.

But, after support from association South Liverpool Homes, she was awarded discretionary housing payment to cover the costs for a year.

She said: “I have suffered from depression before and when I found out about the bedroom tax I felt like I didn’t know where to turn.

“You can start feeling totally depressed, I can understand why people struggle to cope.”

Sommer has hypoplastic left heart syndrome and has had open heart surgery five times.

She goes to Alder Hey Hospital School for two hours a day.

Vanessa said: “I don’t work and I can’t because of Sommer’s needs.

“When they told me about the bedroom tax they asked if I would move and I said no.

“We have been here 13 and a half years and it’s Sommer’s home.

“She is in and out of hospital so much she needs somewhere safe to come back to.”

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