A rare form of Covid-19 killed a hospital cleaner and left her daughters orphaned.
Judith Thorpe struggled with cost of living issues and felt she had no other option than to cash in her pension early to pay her bills.
But the move meant she waived a death-in-service payout of £60,000 and up to £30,000 in pensionable pay.
The mum's sudden death from Covid has left her daughters Hannah, 16, and Scarlett, 13, orphaned after dad John Lydon, 51, died from pancreatic cancer in 2015.
ChronicleLive reports they are now being cared for in their Newcastle home by their half-brother Lewis, 24, and his girlfriend Abbie, also 24.
They told how Judith’s decision to cancel her pension - cashing in just £210 - was driven by her fears over the crippling cost of living.
She had only started paying into the scheme after beginning work at the city’s Freeman Hospital last November on a £10-an-hour wage.
Grieving Lewis, who is now acting as carer for his younger siblings. blasted the Government for failing to act over the cost of living crisis.
Lewis, a customer service adviser said: “Mum never wanted the girls to know about her finances and didn’t want them to worry about asking for a treat.
"But she spoke to me privately about how she was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to afford new school shoes and jumpers, as every spare penny was going towards her bills.
“She said to me: “I just can’t make it work, I can’t even afford to use the dryer’. She wouldn’t watch telly because of the electric, she’d read a book instead.”
Half of Brit households will be plunged into fuel poverty by the New Year and the poorest will be three times worst hit.
And despite projected rises in the energy price cap to £5,000 a year in 2023, the government is yet to step forward with a solution.
Lewis said: “Frankly, I’m disgusted at how the government has handled the situation.
"They have allowed energy giants to reap record-breaking profits while millions of families have to choose between heating or eating.
" Liz Truss said the 'profit isn’t a crime' - but there is fundamentally no need for the blatant price gouging we are witnessing.
“The government should stand with their citizens’ best interests - not protect the interests of shareholders. We are in another pandemic and again they are showing how inept they are in a crisis.”
Lewis told how his mum’s fuel bills had more than doubled from £45 to £110 in May.
But the family never knew she had withdrawn from her NHS pension scheme.
He said: "Mum never wanted the girls to know about her finances and didn’t want them to worry about asking for a treat.
"But she spoke to me privately about how she was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to afford new school shoes and jumpers, as everything spare penny was going towards her bills.
“I offered help but she was always too proud to take what money I could spare. Mum never bought anything for herself.
"She wore the same coat for four years - and she worked tirelessly for her kids. She always said she didn’t want us to stop our lives for her."
Bereaved family members of NHS staff who lose their lives to Covid are entitled to a £60,000 lump sum.
But the family have been told that the scheme only applies to workers who pay into a pension.
They believe they would also have been entitled to her pensionable pay of around £30,000.
Lewis’s fiancee Abbie, 24, said: "“We had no idea she cancelled her pension to keep the bills paid but that’s the woman she was. She would always go without to make sure her kids were looked after.
"She would skip meals in tough times to make sure they were fed.
“Because Judith cancelled her pension, we’ve been told that she is not entitled to any death in service payout from the NHS.
“She was being very selfless. We hope someone in the NHS will look at this and see if there’s something that can be done to help her children.”
Judith tested positive from Covid last Saturday but was rushed to hospital on Monday after suffering a seizure.
She was placed in intensive care and despite the best efforts of doctors was diagnosed as brain dead.
Her family took the decision to withdraw life support on Wednesday.
Doctors believe she suffered an incredibly rare form of Covid where the virus had entered her spinal cord and spread to her brain.
Less than 20 people across the world are thought to have been affected in such a way.
A GoFundMe appeal has been launched to help support Judith’s surviving children.
Proceeds will go towards helping with funeral expenses and fund support for Lewis, Hannah and Scarlett.
Lewis, who was due to go to university next month to study paramedical science, added: “Mam was our biggest supporter - she told us that she wanted to be our cheerleader, waving us on.
“But she was always there to lend a hand to anyone in need in the community.
"She regularly volunteered at our primary school’s Christian groups - the Sun Seekers - and hosted events for those just needing somewhere to talk in her own living room.
She was much loved by so many people and we are all devastated by her passing.”
