Mum discovered lifeless in mould riddled dwelling was ‘solemn and helpless’ week earlier than dying
A mum of 4 who was reportedly “frustrated to the point of desperation” with the housing and advantages programs was discovered lifeless in her dwelling after years of fighting uninhabitable dwelling situations and cash. The household of Karen McBride, 46, have claimed she was “wrongly pursued” over advantages debt and declaring herself homeless.
Ms McBride was moved to Stalybridge, Tameside, with two of her kids, however the property was allegedly “in a very poor state with a myriad of serious restoration work needing to be done”.
An inquest was advised the home had a number of critical defects, together with black mould which made Ms McBride and her kids in poor health, inflicting black grime to return out of their noses, and pigeons nesting of their loft.
Codie, Ms McBride’s daughter mentioned her mom’s dying might have been averted had it not been for “systemic and police-based failings”.
In an announcement learn out on the inquest, reported by the Manchester Evening News, Codie mentioned her mom had been a sufferer of systemic abuse.
Codie defined: “My mum was a victim of systemic abuse – which is the complete neglect towards a whole class of people in this country.
“This happens when funding is cut to vital services, ineffective procedures are adopted by agencies and an institutionalised poor perception towards those who are in receipt of benefits or living on the breadline is adopted.”
Codie added that her mom didn’t wish to settle for the tenancy, however was allegedly advised by Jigsaw Homes that she can be making herself and her kids deliberately homeless if she didn’t.
The inquest heard that there was a delay in shifting her to the property due to promised renovation work. When she was in lastly moved into the property in December 2019, it had no gasoline or electrical energy.
The scenario had arisen as a result of Mc McBride’s earlier landlord had advised her he meant to promote up and gave her six weeks to maneuver out in early 2019.
Codie mentioned: “This left her feeling very nervous and fearful. She was panicked about finding somewhere new to live in such a short space of time.
“She enquired about lots of properties but couldn’t find any private rentals that would accept her due to being on benefits. She was told by numerous estate agents that she would require a guarantor, which she did not have.
“She sought advice from the local authority and was advised to declare herself homeless in order to be prioritised for rehousing with the local housing association, Jigsaw.”
The inquest additionally heard that Ms McBride had allegedly been “passed back and forth” between Jigsaw Homes and Tameside Council.
The inquest heard that shortly earlier than Ms McBride’s dying on August 1, 2022, she was “solemn and helpless” and nonetheless “not certain” about her scenario.
At the time of her dying, the inquest heard that Ms McBride hadn’t been taking her prescribed anti-depressants.
In an announcement, a spokesperson for Tameside Council mentioned: “Our deepest condolences go to the family and friends of Karen McBride. The coroner found that no systemic failings by any organisation contributed to her death.
“The Council does not comment on individual cases, however, reviews are undertaken in all such cases to see if any learning can be gained and improvements be made. In all cases, benefits and council tax can only be assessed where information is available.”
The Samaritans might be reached around the clock, 24 hours a day, one year a 12 months.
If you want a response instantly, it’s finest to name them on the telephone. You can attain them by calling 116 123, by emailing jo@samaritans.org or by visiting www.samaritans.org.