London: A woman who was worried she would have to move out of her house or pay extra to stay because of the bedroom tax killed herself, a coroner has ruled.
Stephanie Bottrill, 53, had raised a son and daughter in her three-bedroom council house in the West Midlands but was living there alone after her children moved out.
On the day before she died, she told her doctor that she felt she was being pushed into choosing whether to move or to stay and face the prospect of paying extra, the inquest in Birmingham was told. Bottrill also told her GP she felt under pressure to make a quick decision.
Speaking outside the court, Bottrill’s brother, Kevin Owens, said worries over the bedroom tax could have been a catalyst for taking her life. The government and her local council expressed their condolences to Bottrill’s family and claimed officials had worked with her to try to help her.
Bottrill died on 4 May last year – at a time when the bedroom tax was the source of huge controversy.
Her death made national headlines when it was revealed that she had left a note blaming the government. The inquest was told that on the day before her death Bottrill went to see her doctor, Bindu Nair. The GP told the inquest that Bottrill said she could not cope with the stress she was under.
The Guardian
