Woman 'took own life after benefits cut in error'

"A young woman, who took her own life, had suffered deteriorating mental health after she got a letter saying her benefits were to be cut which was later found to be an error, a coroner has said. Tamara Logan, 28, died at Tameside General Hospital on 20 May 2025 two days after she was found in her home. Alison Mutch, senior coroner for south Manchester, concluded the letter had a "very significant impact" on her."

"At the inquest, Mutch concluded: "On the balance of probabilities, the incorrect decision to withdraw [Tamara's] enhanced daily living allowance and the method of communication of the decision significantly contributed to her declining mental health and her actions on 18th May 2025." Following the hearing, the coroner wrote to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to express her concerns as part of a Prevention of Future Deaths report."

"The coroner said DWP records noted her mental health issues, yet the department sent a standard letter without attempting to reduce the impact the decision could cause. "The method used for communication of the decision was also not appropriate given her known vulnerabilities," Mutch wrote in the report. In her letter to the DWP, she said she was concerned that Tamara Logan's benefits were cut in error despite being double-checked before a final decision was made."

Tamara Logan, 28, died at Tameside General Hospital on 20 May 2025, two days after being found in her home. A reassessment in early 2025 led the Department for Work and Pensions to mistakenly decide to remove her enhanced daily living allowance, an error the department has accepted. DWP records had noted her mental health issues, yet the department issued a standard letter without adjustments for her vulnerabilities. Senior coroner Alison Mutch found, on the balance of probabilities, that the incorrect decision and the method of communication significantly contributed to her declining mental health and actions on 18 May 2025, and raised concerns in a Prevention of Future Deaths report.

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