Dying man lives on 12p a day.

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No this isn't India, the Philippines, Ethiopia or Somalia. This is Cameron's Britain.

STORY-

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Haverhi ... 102011.htm


A terminally ill man has been living off 12p a day for food after being refused benefits.


Peter Duut, a Dutch national who lives in Haverhill, has worked long hours as a carpenter in the UK for the past two-and-a-half years.

When he became term-inally ill with cancer in April he tried to claim benefits, only to be told that he does not qualify.

Peter and his wife Laurel have since been unable to afford enough food, and are battling with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to give them enough money to live off.

Laurel said: “Peter was advised to top the amount of Jobseeker’s Allowance up with Income Support. Being ill myself I was unable to advise Peter and to my horror realised that he had a payment of £55 pounds per week for both of us to live on and pay our bills with in our rental property.

“He was then told that he had failed his Habitual Residency test and that he had no right to reside in the UK, even though he had been paying all of his national insurance stamps and taxes.”

The pair tried appealing to the DWP and called on MP Matthew Hancock for help, but have yet to have their financial situation resolved.

After paying their bills, the couple are left with just 12p each day for food. Peter now weighs 9st 2lbs (58kg).

Laurel said: “He looks like a person who had been released from a prison of war camp and is unable to walk far due to frailty and breathlessness.

“He has developed stomach problems due to not eating regularly and very small amounts for such long periods of time and having no money for food.”

The DWP states that Dutch nationals can receive benefits only if they are active in the labour market, but Peter has widespread cancer and has been told by a doctor that he cannot work.

Laurel said: “I do know that the legal system is a cold system, yet where does one draw the line on torture and inhumane treatment or even right to life?”

Matthew Hancock MP said: “The case of Mr and Mrs Duut is difficult and complicated. I deal with many such cases, and am working to try to support the Duuts to find a solution.”

A spokesman for the DWP said: “We understand that this must be a difficult time for Mr and Mrs Duut and we are working with them to ensure they get the benefits they may be entitled to, such as Disability Living Allowance.”

If I were Peter Duut, I'd commit suicide. Wouldn't you? Your life is almost over and it's better to just to get it over with than slowly starve while waiting for the end.

Some already have:

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/881136-marr ... er-poverty

Also, why didn't Peter Duut return to his own country after he become terminally ill and denied benefits?


The UK sounds like it has become a horribly dysfunctional country and I'd assume there would be riots in the streets like there are in Greece. The West is a MESS.

well if he was actually working towards or already received permission to stay but not receive services then that does send a mixed message, they do to an extent at least acknowledge them as citizens.

Aren't there any charities that can help? I'm not trying to dismiss the idea of government assistance, but for now that's obviously not working.

It just seems anyone this emaciated should at least get some food offered if they approach any church or charity.

Or would receiving such charity jeopardize their chances at government assistance?

I'd become a criminal. If I got caught at least the prison system would provide food & maybe health care.

You have to remember that both the UK and the Netherlands are European Union countries (and travel isn't restricted in reality between either country) so in practice they couldn't actually deport him.

true,
and as far as i know there is an extensive interconnected reimbursement system between the countries.

i was hospitalized in france and i know the danish state reimbursed them for my stay, we have specific id cards that are readable across the eu for that very purpose.

from my time in holland i know they run a very similar id system, i dont know if they have any actual reimbursement though.
still doesnt help the real problem, lack of income in a hard situation, it also seems that it isnt only foreigners that hit the wall.
i doubt there is any similar system for welfare, does anyone knwo if they contacted the dutch embassy?

The UK at present is a disgrace. The government are a textbook example of Shock Doctrine, seeing how much they can get away with in the name of the deficit and the debt. In theory, we should have a Labour party to whip up strong opposition, or even just represent the opposition in the streets in parliament, but they were only slightly less Neoliberal in outlook during their time in power and laid the foundations for what's going on now.

There were serious riots last year. But received opinion is that they were in no way political. In about 20 or 30 years, it'll finally be admitted they were - it's how we do things here. I don't know how much longer things will go on - the idea of the government (a coalition) making it to full term just doesn't seem possible.

That said, if you go to a protest, at the very least you'll be 'kettled', and if violence breaks out - through frustration, or the work of either a few protestors or, likely as not, agent provocateurs - you'll face trumped up charges and possibly draconian sentences.

The Department for Work and Pensions - the people who process and grant/refuse benefit claims - have been giving staff advice on potential suicides:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/ ... -claimants

And a case of self-immolation:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/ ... job-centre

So yeah...



Still, having a go at Muslims and immigrants should sort it out.

Government and people, who works for who?

It’s about time they swiped the Great out of Great Britain, it doesn’t mean anything anymore. Not unless 300 years of pillaging and genocide still count a great.

'Great' in 'Great Britain' is a geographic term as in mainland Britain. It has no meaning beyond that.

Collectively speaking this country still has some good spirit left in it. This image i saw on facebook of an elderly lady sticking it to the bigots in the BNP and EDL is surely hope inspiring.


The problem is the few reality detached Etonian toffs at the top who have their heads so firmly rammed up their backsides they have no idea of the destruction and misery their policies are causing.

Last edited by thomas81 on 26 Sep 2012, 8:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

That is not so different from the class of Corporate Cronies who hold disproportionate power in the United States. For Eton substitute Yale and Harvard, or some rather posh private schools in which the U.S. power elite is groomed.

ruveyn

Seriously guys, what is a "p"?

p is pence. Don't Americans have c for cents?

He can claim social benefits in Holland. If he returns to the Netherlands, he'll be paid an advance instantly until the formal decision is made (usually 4 weeks). It's not fair that he's forced to leave the UK after having worked there, but returning to the Netherlands is better than starving to death.