10 August 2015
The death of Frances McCormack. She left a note linking her hardship to the “bedroom tax”.
What: Frances McCormack had been told she must pay the bedroom tax because she had a “spare room” following the suicide of her 16-year-old son, in 2013. An eviction notice arrived at her home on the same day that her body was found. A handwritten note, part of which was addressed to David Cameron and dated 10 days before her death, was found in her bedroom, mentioning the hardship the bedroom tax was causing her.
Why significant: Another death linked to the bedroom tax [see Stephanie Bottrill, 4 May 2013].
Citations
'Mother found hanged days after she wrote a plea to David Cameron about hardships of the bedroom tax', Cowburn, 2015
'Grieving mum found hanged near Bedroom Tax eviction letter had written poverty plea to David Cameron', Mirror.co.uk, 2016