The son of a hospital cleaner has revealed how she was forced to cash in her NHS pension to cover her soaring energy bills just two months before she died of Covid. Judith Thorpe made the decision to take out her pension money early in a desperate bid to protect her two teenage daughters during the cost of living crisis - and to make sure they had new jumpers and shoes for school.
But in a tragic twist of fate, the 49-year-old passed away last week after contracting coronavirus - leaving her devastated children orphaned and penniless. The family are set to miss out on a potential £30,000 of pension benefits – all because of an electricity payment that more than doubled from £45 to £110, the Mirror reports.
Now Hannah, 16 and Scarlett, 13 - who lost their dad John Lydon to cancer in 2015 - are being looked after by their 24-year-old half- brother Lewis and his partner. Lewis says he was completely unaware that his mum had cancelled her pension in May, with Judith receiving just £210 after paying in £362 from from her £10-an-hour £14,500/year salary since November.
