I didn’t get letter but they still cut benefit
RONALD’S STORY
THE heartbreaking tale of Ronald, from Kilwinning, Ayrshire, is one repeated again and again amid Tory cuts that have featured many times in the Record.
Ronald, 41, found himself homeless after his partner Mary died two years ago.
Her death meant the tenancy on their council home was lost. The bereavement caused major depression, which meant he had to take time off sick from his job as a kitchen porter in Dumfries.
He found himself on the streets in Glasgow, with no address other than that of the Simon Community, who help rough sleepers.
Ronald said: “I was getting Employment and Support Allowance because I wasn’t able to work but the Government decided to attack people like me and gave me an appointment to get assessed.
“By the time I received the notification, I had missed the appointment and they passed me fit for work and sanctioned me, leaving me with no money for food or anything.
“I ended up begging on ths streets. My nerves are shot and I’m in dire straits. There’s no way I could work but I’m in this vicious circle and I can’t get out of it.
“If I can raise £19 a day, I can pay for a bed for the night but if the weather’s OK I might just sleep on the street. It’s some choice. On rainy days, no one stops to give you money, so that’s a disaster.
“You can say what you want about stuff happening to help the homelsss, but it’s a lot of bull.”