Overview

• The DWP ended Hailwood’s Carer’s Allowance weeks after her daughter Stacey’s death in 2023 and directed her to apply for universal credit and jobseeker’s allowance
• Having no formal work history or recent qualifications and suffering chronic back and hip injuries from decades of lifting Stacey, the 54-year-old cannot realistically meet jobseeker requirements
• Unable to cover utility bills on her Cheadle bungalow, Hailwood has sold the property and expects to become homeless once the sale completes
• After three decades of at-home caregiving that she says saved the NHS thousands of pounds, Hailwood’s mental health has deteriorated to the point she has contemplated taking her own life
• Campaigners argue the DWP’s policy of cutting carers’ support immediately after a cared-for person’s death leaves bereaved carers without essential financial or emotional assistance