Anyone see this bizarre story?

[antipodes]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2059238/Army-veteran-Mark-Mullins-wife-Helen-driven-suicide-poverty.html

Yes apologies to start off with it being from the Mail!!!
But I wonder how a couple could be left in such circumstances? especially if he was ex-Army? This type of tale is not much of an advertisement for life in sunny Britain   :( :(

[antipodes]

[Gadget]

It is so incredibly sad that in 2011 that there are so many people living below the poverty line, in the papers today they are investigating how this couple slipped through the net, sadly it's too late to help them,  but maybe it will save some other poor souls. I hope that they do good by the daughter who was taken into care, and that she doesn't "slip through the net too".

What is frustrating is that ex military are very proud people and quite often will not ask for help, and they need help, a lot have no concept of running a home, what they are entitled to, and adapting back to civvy street leads to a lot of stress and depression, and there is a lot of them out there!

[manicscousers]

I'm really upset by this and hearing about food supply places for the hungry running low on stocks, we seem to be going back to victorian times, next it will be workhouses .
How anyone can be so friendless and neglected is frightening.

[grannyjanny]

What a sad way to start my Thursday, in tears at this terrible story. On our local news just last week they were showing food boxes that people who were referred to them could get non perishable food. Note I say referred so even this wouldn't have helped that poor couple.

My husband could not believe that this was happening in England in 2011. What a lame excuse again, 'They slipped through the net' How many children have died because they too have 'Slipped through the net'.

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[betula]

Very sad and probablly a lot more to this story than meets the eye.

Why the jab at Britain Antipodies?Nothing winds me up more than people living in another country having a go at my country.Dare say France or even Australia could throw up a few horror storys without too much delving.

[rosebud]

 How very sad,  i was very upset when i read this.   I wonder why the army help never stepped up to the mark , & what about the Poppy money that comes in for ex serviceman to help them .  How can they have slipped through the net i cannot except that EXCUSE, its just not on where were the extended family or the neighbours offering advice about  credits etc:.
What is this goverment doing about the ordinary peeps ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, they have no shame.  It breaks my heart to read this story :'(.  May they both rest in peace.

Please do not knock our country, from abroad we take anyone here that comes knocking instead of looking after our own first >:( >:( >:(

[katynewbie]

This is a very sad story and anyone would have to have a heart of stone not to feel that something has gone badly wrong here. As an ex-service person myself, I would respectfully suggest that the ethos of self-sufficiency can have some negative effects.  I am sure that the Op was not just having a dig at Britain, this kind of thing happens in lots of countries.

It's just very, very sad.

[artichoke]

Well......I am so sad about this couple. They needed support. For instance, anyone in Hastings can go to HARC. Is there nowhere like this in COVENTRY?

http://harcuk.com/

My son has illnesses which prevent him from working, and also make him useless at managing the amazingly complex benefits forms that come to him. I and HARC have repeatedly helped him to climb back onto the benefits payments when he has been told he cannot have them, right up to three Tribunals.

They should have had ALL SORTS of benefits and support, but like my son, they could not cope with the rejection, the level of proof demanded, and the confusing paperwork.

[GrannieAnnie]

Part of their problem may have been distrust of the welfare system since their child was taken away. We see that from time to time in our local shelter where folks can get a hot meal, clothing and bags of food and toiletries, etc. Some are not able (or willing) to open up their problems to a social worker out of distrust yet that would enable them to get more help, training, housing etc. It is a two way street: the social workers offer help  but the person in need has to reach out, too.

Another problem we frequently see is some prefer to live in an unheated tent than go into a shelter. I talked with one man just last week who has been living in the woods in a tent and bathing in the creek because....? He never gave a good answer to me but was finally going into a shelter in the next state where he knew someone and had stopped in to get bus tickets to take him there.
Some say the shelters aren't safe. However, sleeping in the woods with trees falling in storms and possible hypothermia isn't safe either yet they are willing to take the chance. Also some have drug and alcohol problems and aren't willing to bite the bullet when it comes to shelter rules.

[Mr Smith]

Like others have said are we being given the full picture, this story was on the Midlands news last night about them having to walk in to Cov from Bedworth for food parcels, it was said that Mrs Mullins had health problems, so I would of thought that Mr Mullins would of been claiming a carers allowance and if he was also out of work he would be getting his dole money, also I suppose council tax and rent paid for, but I don't know, how did they slip through the net when others in similar positions just seem to swan through life, like my nephew, :) 

[lottie lou]

Sadly some people "slip through the net" as they are too proud/unwilling to let anyone know of their plight.  T

[cambourne7]

Yes spotted this the other day its very sad.

I have spotted this place before http://www.cambridgecityfoodbank.org.uk/ and once i am up and about i am going to volunteer to go and collect from shops for them or to see if there is one more local to me as cambridge is about 25 miles away and would not help anyone in my area.

But i am sure if you look there might be somewhere local to you where you can volunteer or even donate?