A VICTIM of the "bedroom tax" claims she could now be dead if she had not found work within days of failing to secure full-time employment in April.
Barbara Johnson – just one of 300 people affected by the government-imposed Spare Room Subsidy in Brentwood – faced having to leave her council house in Wainwright Avenue, Hutton, because her housing benefit was due to drop by 14 per cent
Coupled with the fact that the 42-year-old would have had to pay 20 per cent council tax on her two bedroom property, she estimated that she would have had less than £5 a week to pay for food, clothes and travel.
Barbara said she would have contemplated taking her own life if she had been forced to leave the council house deemed by the authorities to have one unused bedroom and therefore suitable for a benefit penalty.
But after finding employment as a Brentwood shop assistant where she is paid £6.20 an hour for a 31-hour week, in addition to £52 working tax credit every week, things are looking up. Importantly, she can afford to stay in the house she has lived in for 11 years
From the £602 a month she pays out in rent and council tax, she has £86.48 a week for food and bills.
Barbara said: "I was working in Witham hoping for full-time work but when they didn't want me back after five weeks, I was seriously contemplating committing suicide.
"I couldn't face having to move. So when I got this job just a few days later it was literally a lifesaver.
"Working in a shop is not really me, but is helping me with my confidence.
"I'm doing better than I was but I'm not living a life of luxury."
