A severely disabled woman has had her benefits cut by Hackney council which she claims has left her feeling suicidal.
The council told Jo Paton, 73, she would have to pay from her own carer which has left her in a difficult situation.
Ms Paton now has to pay £98 a week for her carer, out of benefits. The money comes from her disability allowance, leaving her with no disposable income. She has lived in Hackney for 38 years, but is now housebound.
She said: “I’ve been left in a financial downfall. This doesn’t seem to be happening in other boroughs – why Hackney?
“I got hold of my MP, Meg Hillier, and spoke to her about it. But nothing’s changed.”
Ms Paton, who has been in a wheelchair since 1983 and survived breast cancer, has suffered with depression in the past.
“It has definitely pushed me backwards. I was coping before but now my suicidal thoughts are back. My life has been ruined.”
Fiona Brickwood, a psychotherapist and Age UK volunteer, said: “To make cuts to the most vulnerable people is monstrous – the council isn’t being civilised.”
A spokesperson for charity Campaign to End Loneliness said: “Lacking social connections is a comparable risk factor for early death as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and is worse for us than well-known risk factors such as obesity.”
Andrew Kaye, from charity Independent Age, said cases like Ms Paton’s are not uncommon but they often go unreported: “Social care constitutes around a third of a council’s budget, so when cuts need to be made, elderly people are hit the hardest.
Hackney Council did not respond to requests for comment.
