'Fundamental change to the social security system' is the cry. It comes from former friends and co-campaigners of respected anti-poverty campaigner Karen McBride after the heartbreaking news of her tragic death.
Karen was an active member of Greater Manchester Poverty Action, a not-for-profit organisation that works to prevent and reduce poverty across Greater Manchester. In the wake of her death, the group has urged local authorities to do far more.
They want councils to 'consider how their decisions impact people' suffering economic hardship. Campaigners said they hoped Karen's legacy would 'help those living in poverty to be seen, heard and supported in a compassionate way as she would have wanted'.
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They follow messages from her MP, who met with Karen's family after her death and said her story 'shows the lack of respect and decency that is too often a feature of the contemporary benefits system, and of the bureaucracy that can be so hard to navigate'.
The Manchester Evening News revealed the shocking case after a coroner heard details about Karen's years of struggles with the benefits system and an 'uninhabitable' home her family said she felt pressurised into accepting a tenancy for.
Karen, a mum-of-four who was 46, was 'frustrated to the point of desperation', the inquest heard, and her family said they believed the 'failings of multiple agencies led to her death'.
Her daughter, Codie, hit out at 'systemic and policy-based failings' and said they believed her death could have been avoided. A powerful statement Codie wrote for the inquest was read out by a coroner at Stockport Coroners' Court. In it she said: "My mum was a victim of systemic abuse - which is the complete neglect towards a whole class of people in this country.
"This happens when funding is cut to vital services, ineffective procedures are adopted by agencies and an institutionalised poor perception towards those who are in receipt of benefits or living on the breadline is adopted."
The family claimed at the inquest she was 'wrongly pursued' over erroneous benefits debt and accepted a house on Rydal Walk in Stalybridge, Tameside, that needed serious restoration work. It had pigeons nesting in the loft, black mould, damp and a hole in the floor.
Karen, who was found dead in her kitchen on August 1 last year and also struggled throughout her life with her mental health, was a community commissioner for the Poverty Truth Commission, which ran as part of Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA).
"Once she started attending the group, she really wanted to persevere," said her daughter Codie in her statement to the inquest. "I was really proud of her and saw a real alteration in her mood. Once the group got going, she went from strength to strength."
The inquest heard she used her life experiences to help and support others, giving 'inspiring' speeches and attending local anti-poverty rallies.
She was involved for 18 months, but eventually became 'disillusioned.' The inquest heard Karen believed business, civic and council leaders, who were invited to sessions with others experiencing hardship to suggest new ways of working, access support and call for policy improvements, 'were not turning up to arranged meetings, even though dates were arranged around their availability'.
"On many occasions, the meetings got cancelled altogether and sometimes the community commissioners were not advised until they arrived on the day," said Codie. "My mum was putting so much energy into this project and felt that this was not reciprocated by the business and civic leaders. At this point, her mental health began to nose-dive again.
"We spoke on the phone a lot and she informed me that she felt helpless and like things could not improve."
The GMPA said in a statement to the M.E.N. today that Karen was a 'pro-active and passionate member'.
"At the launch event in October 2021, Karen shared her story of growing up and living in poverty, that she said had 'unimaginable effects on life'," they said. "Karen was keen to use her experiences to influence change, in the hope that others would not experience the same.
"Through the PTC, Karen raised her concerns about support available for people with mental health problems, those living in poor housing conditions, and the barriers facing those in need of support with their finances. She brought a kindness and compassion to the PTC process that was welcomed and much-needed, and she advocated strongly for a 'no wrong door' approach to supporting people living in poverty across all public bodies and organisations.
"Karen was not afraid to challenge those in positions of authority to turn what they heard from the PTC into meaningful action, particularly when she believed that change should happen sooner and that the voices of herself and others should be heard. It is hoped that the legacy of Karen and the PTC will help those living in poverty to be seen, heard and supported in a compassionate way, as Karen would have wanted."
Graham Whitham, CEO at Greater Manchester Poverty Action, said the processes for applying for benefits and welfare support 'must be simplified'.
"Karen's tragic death has highlighted structural failures in the social security system and the support available to people experiencing financial crisis," he said.
"At GMPA, we advocate for a 'cash-first' approach to benefits and welfare support, aimed at maximising choice, flexibility, dignity and control for people. We also believe local authorities have a responsibility to offer advice-based services to residents in receipt of state support and to operate a 'no wrong door' policy, to ensure people get help when they need it.
"Application processes for benefits and local welfare assistance must be simplified so that people can easily explain their situation, minimising barriers to application and delays. Applications should be able to be done in several ways including online, over the phone and in-person, and decisions should be made quickly.
"At GMPA we also call on local authorities to consider how their decisions impact people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. We believe that in Karen's case, if this practice had been widespread, more consideration may have been taken regarding Karen’s circumstances - and tragedy could have been avoided.
"Karen was a passionate anti-poverty campaigner and was dedicated to ensuring that the stories of people experiencing poverty were heard in decision-making. Her death has highlighted how important this practice is. We need to see fundamental change to the social security system and adequate support for people in financial crisis – so that no-one else has to go through what Karen did."
Jonathan Reynolds, the Labour MP for Stalybridge, said he would be supporting the family and hit out at the standard of the house Karen moved into.
He told the M.E.N.: "I believe Karen’s story shows the lack of respect and decency that is too often a feature of the contemporary benefits’ system, and of the bureaucracy that can be so hard to navigate. The property Karen was asked to move into was clearly not ready or of the standard required.
"I was able to meet with Karen's daughter Codie earlier in the year to advise her regarding the inquest process, and I will continue to support her in any way she may require."
Coroner Chris Morris said he found Karen didn't have a 'sustained intention' to take her own life, describing her death as an 'impulsive act whilst under the influence of alcohol'.
He recorded a narrative conclusion, saying: "Karen McBride died having suspended herself by the neck with a ligature whilst under the influence of alcohol."
