A mum-of-two killed herself after her mortgage payments rose by £500 a month and her application for benefits was turned down, her daughter has said.
Kathleen Moore, 60, spent the last four years struggling to make her payments after they shot up due to rising interest rates on her interest only loan.
She had osteoporosis, which hindered how much she could work as a dog sitter, and she was too young to retire and receive her pension.
Kathleen applied for personal independence payment (PIP) and universal credit but was told she didn’t meet the criteria due to her age and the fact she had a mortgage.
Daughter Amy Evans, 37, said her mum tried to work at least 30 hours a month and rented out rooms in her home to try and make the mortgage payments but still had to rely on foodbanks.
Amy said her mum would often talk about was her money problems but didn’t let on how bad it was.
She said she was ‘devastated’ when she got the call to say she had taken her own life in August 2024.
Now she is petitioning to see more financial and mental health support for those over 60 – including a review into the eligibility criteria for Universal Credit and PIP.
Amy, a cleaner, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, said: ‘She’d talk about money so much.
‘It consumed her – the worry – for such a resilient person.
‘She wasn’t entitled to universal credit because she had a mortgage. She wasn’t poorly enough for PIP. Everywhere she turned there were no answers.
‘If someone had helped – she’d still be here.’
Amy said she noticed her mum started stressing about money after becoming single four years ago.
She said: ‘She was with her partner for 10 years and they went their separate ways. It made it difficult for my mum financially.
‘The interest rates went up. I think her mortgage went up from £100 to £600-a-month.’
Amy said she offered to let her mum stay with her if she needed to, but described how she was ‘proud’ and wanted to stay in her own home.
Amy said: ‘It took a lot for her to ask for help – I think she was ashamed.’
She said the family did not realise how bad things were because whenever things seemed to ‘dip’ she always appeared to ‘get back on her feet’.
That realisation came crashing down when Amy got the call on August 15 last year to say her mum had ended her life.
Amy said: ‘It wasn’t really until she’d gone that we looked at all the paperwork and saw how desperate she’d become.
‘She could never really make ends meet. She got desperate and bought into loan sharks. She was so worried all the time about having a roof over her head.’
Now Amy is calling for a review into the eligibility criteria for universal credit and personal independence payment (PIP) to ensure individuals aged 60 and over who are self-employed, carers, or single without dependents are no longer ‘unfairly’ excluded from vital financial support.
She also wants to see a dedicated mental health counselling service for those aged 60 and over.
Amy said: ‘She needed a financial solution. Someone to talk to could have changed what she was planning.’
Paying tribute to her mum, she recalled how she ‘was the life and soul of most parties when she was younger’ and ‘was very resilient’.
‘I hope the petition will save someone else,’ she added.
Amy’s petition can be found here.
Need support?
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
Their HOPELINE247 is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org.
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