Suicides highlight the grim toll of benefits sanctions in austerity Britain

Less than two years ago, 50-year-old David tried to take his own life in a council house in Salford. You can still see the scars when he stretches out his arm to light a roll-up cigarette.

“Everything just builds up after a while. I was walking around thinking where I was going to get money from, what [was] I going to do about the kids, how was I going to survive?” says David, as his two daughters sit quietly next to him on the sofa. “I’ve been through the bins and all sorts, trying to make ends meet. I’m not proud of it, but needs must at times.”

A proposed £300,000 Salford mental health centre is a ‘smokescreen’ to hide the fact that staff needed to run the facility face massive job cuts

A proposed £300,000 Salford mental health centre is a ‘smokescreen’ to hide the fact that staff needed to run the facility face massive job cuts

The mental health intermediate care centre, which was officially announced on Monday, would manage tenant’s mental health and provide help with integrating back into society.
However, MM has learned that many of the staff who would be needed to run the centre are set to lose their jobs in April, if proposed Salford Council budget cuts take effect.
The mental health floating support service which workers are employed in will be seeing a reduction in funding of £214,000 under the council budget cuts.
Steve North, branch secretary of Salford Unison, has been involved in the proposed centre’s planning and says the announcement is a ploy by Salford Council.
“On the face of it this looks like a really positive development,” North told MM.

On The March To Defend Mental Health Services March and Rally

On The March To Defend Mental Health Services March and Rally

Defend Mental Health Services
March and Rally
Saturday 29th March 12:30
Meet Market Cross, Eccles for march to Meadowbrook
Next Saturday, service users, activists, families and health workers will be holding a march and rally to Defend Mental Health Services in Bolton, Salford and Trafford.