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Julia Jones’ Bedroom Tax Letter To David Cameron

February 10, 2013

UK readers, do you want to do one bit of campaigning today? Then please share this letter everywhere. Send it to family, friends, followers, celebrities, the press. Anywhere. Everywhere. Everyone must read.

This heart-wrenching letter shames David Cameron and the Coalition Government over their wicked bedroom tax.

In it, widow Julia Jones, 59, pleads with the PM to consider her plight, the Sunday People reports.

Julia, who will have to live on just £53 a week, faces losing the home and garden where she scattered her husband’s ashes.

The malicious and divisive tax will punish 660,000 ordinary men and women come April and is rapidly becoming David Cameron’s poll tax.

“Please think again,” Julia begs the PM.

Today everyone should read Julia’s letter.

Dear Mr Cameron

I heard you in Prime Minister’s Questions say you would look at individual cases on the bedroom tax.

I am 59 years old, David (my husband) and I have both worked since we were 15, paid taxes, did our bit.

We have never been well off but we both did worthwhile jobs.

Five years ago David got melanoma.

He had excruciating treatment and, although still not well, returned to work as he thought it was his duty.

Four years ago he got bowel cancer; he had an irreversible colostomy.

Six months later he returned to work. Two years ago he got brain cancer. Seven weeks later he died.

Throughout all this I was advised I could get care allowance, but I rejected this: he was my husband, it was my duty to care for him.

We lived off the little savings we had until we could return to work.

When he had the colostomy we were allocated this home as David could not climb stairs any more and I struggled.

His ashes are buried in the garden under the rose bushes that friends gave me instead of wreaths.

Mr Cameron, my husband and I were the hard workers you claim to support, we never asked for anything.

I would give everything if this had not happened to us.

Because we were on benefit and sick, you and your government said hateful words against us.

Words that made acquaintances look at us with contempt.

The most powerful men in the country imply we are scum so we must be scum.

You and your government call us scroungers, next door go to work while our bedroom curtains are still drawn.

My curtains were still drawn at 11am as the light made David scream with pain.

Do you not consider that I would give everything for my husband to be alive, me to not have incapacitating pain and we could both be the hard workers we once were?

I live in small 1 1/2 bed bungalow that was built for older people.

It is supported elderly living so I feel safe. It could not house a family as under 55s are not allowed.

You now want to take my home from me. The home that literally made my fingers bleed cleaning as it had been neglected for 20 years when we moved here.

You want me to leave my husband’s ashes, my neighbours who take me shopping and give me some form of social life? I have no family, we could not have children.

I am living without heating at present so how can I pay what I do not have to stay in my home?

Have you any idea how that affects my fibromyalgia?

I eat one meal a day and am in constant pain which is exacerbated by the cold.

I may get Discretionary Housing Benefit. But we both know that is only for 13 weeks at a time and when the pot is empty, it is empty.

I have considered moving but the only property available is far from shops and bus stops and costs £98 per month more than where I am at present. I would be living in isolation.

You say you are building more social housing, but it is too little too late for many of us.

You may blame the Labour policies, but it was your government who introduced this law so I have to hold you responsible.

Mr Cameron, I do not believe you or your MPs are evil men at heart, I believe this is an ill-thought-out plan and you did not understand the consequence of your action.

I ask you to take a step back and look at this again.

THE ABOVE IS JUST PLAIN CRUEL…I AM ASHAMED TO BE BRITISH.

Yours, Julia Jones

4 Comments leave one →
  1. carrie permalink
    February 10, 2013 11:11 am

    She is 59 at 60 bedroom tax is removed so DHP would be a viable option furtehrmore the rent element that she would pay is only a small amount Could she look into reviewing her benifets as sick e.g DLA Esa High level. Insulation for her home to make heating affordale through home grant. If recieves DLa would get heating allowance.
    Sheltered shemes are excempt in some areas so it would be very worthwhile to discuss are options with her estate officer or sheltered sheme manager.

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    • sue permalink
      February 10, 2013 10:04 pm

      You obviously know very little about DHPs if you think they will solve the problem. The government have not set anywhere near enough money aside in DHPs; 30 million for 40,000 households, based on each household having one spare room. There are 660,000 households affected, 420,000 people have a disability. Also, DHPs are not calculated according to strict need; it’s a finite fund so it’ll be first come first served. A lottery with no guarantee no matter how disabled you are and NO RIGHT OF APPEAL. As for DLA, this benefit IS NOT meant to be looked at when calculating available income for rent; even Lord Freud said that and if she applies for a DHP they will disregard her DLA which is quite right. I cannot believe your ignorance in this matter. It doesn’t matter whether the shortfall is a small amount or not; even having to find an additional £12 per week is very difficult on benefit. This is the message that still isn’t getting through in the media; it’s not just a reduction in housing benefit, that money HAS to be found out of other subsistence benefits or the person could lose their home.The government will not get away with this attack on the poor and disabled. People are already getting ready to go to court. This benefit cut is like no other in living memory as it totally removes all safeguards from homelessness for sick and disabled tenants. WE MUST STOP IT.

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  2. ryan permalink
    February 11, 2013 12:55 am

    shame, this poor lady still lives under the illusion that the government work for the people.

    Like

    • sue permalink
      February 11, 2013 1:27 am

      I don’t think anybody could still be deluding themselves about the real interests of this government. Nevertheless, we don’t live in an unelected dictatorship and we still have recourse to law, not only our laws but the ECHR and the UNCRPD.

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