Mum blames miscarriage on Tory benefit cuts after stress 'killed her baby'

Victoria Bagnall with her husband Gerald Loftus and their two-year-old son Patrick.

A grieving mum claims she suffered a devastating miscarriage at home due to stress caused by Tory welfare cuts and her financial struggle.

Victoria Bagnall has been living off benefits and supporting her family after giving up work to care for her ailing husband and their two-year-old son.

She claims she begged DWP bosses not to halt her Job seekers Allowance payments £114 every two weeks - but her pleas were ignored.

Within hours, Victoria says, she lost her baby as she had a shower at home, the Daily Record reports.

The 38-year-old, from Glasgow, said: “My doctor told me that my miscarriage could have been brought on by stress.

“I was sick with worry. I have worked all my days and had no idea how we were going to be able to survive with no money.

“I was having a shower and suddenly I started bleeding heavily.

“The next thing I knew, the foetus came out and I grabbed it. It was tiny and just starting to form.

“I could see my baby’s eyes, limbs and even its tiny heart.

“I didn’t know what to do. I just cried and held our child in my hands until the paramedics arrived.”

Victoria was 13 weeks pregnant when she was sent a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions on October 9 telling her they were stopping her Jobseekeers Allowance with immediate effect.

She was forced to give up her job as a supervisor at soft play centre Whale of a Time after her partner Gerald Loftus, 32, tore the cruciate ligament in his knee, leaving him unable to look after their toddler Patrick.

Victoria said: “I’ve worked since the day I left school and I had to give up my job to help care for my partner and son.

“This is the first time I’ve claimed benefits in my life and it’s not a position I ever thought I’d be in.

“Gerald suffered a stroke 10 years ago and he also struggles with depression.

“We always managed to cope until last month when he injured his knee, leaving him in agony and unable to run around after our son.

“Patrick was suffering and Gerald was getting down because he couldn’t look after him properly.

“He found it difficult to get about and we don’t have anyone else who can help, so the only option left was for me to give up work.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make and we went from having a regular income to relying on Jobseekers Allowance of £114 every two weeks.

“It was a struggle to pay bills, buy food and heat our home, but at least we had some money coming in. I received three payments until I was sent a letter from the DWP saying my benefits were being stopped because I had voluntarily made myself redundant.

“I’d already explained the circumstances surrounding my decision to stop working and was told that I could claim benefits – but in a matter of weeks they changed their minds.”

The couple were advised to go to their local Jobcentre and apply for Universal Credit but were then told they did not qualify for support.

Victoria claims she was also told she wouldn’t be able to receive any JSA payment until February 14, 2019.

Gerald, who worked with Glasgow City Council before his stroke, said: “We begged but the staff showed no interest and basically left us penniless.

“They knew Victoria was pregnant and we had a little boy to feed.

“I showed them my medical reports but nothing mattered and they refused to help.

“We don’t qualify for Universal Credit and I lost my own claim when Victoria moved in with me. We were devastated and very stressed by what we’d been put through.”

After suffering the miscarriage, Victoria was rushed by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow.

Fighting back tears, she said: “I was very stressed and angry at what we’d been put through at the job centre.

“The only ray of light was the fact that we were having a little baby and it was something we were all looking forward to.

“We always wanted Patrick to have a brother or a sister and it just felt like a blessing.

“The pregnancy was going really well and I was due to have our first scan the following week.

“When I went into the shower, I felt that something was wrong.

“My waters broke and I could feel I was losing the baby. It broke my heart and I just couldn’t believe what was happening.

“It was too early to know if our baby was a boy or a girl and I stood with this tiny body in my hands. I didn’t know what to do with it.”

“I believe the stress the DWP put me through caused me to lose our baby.

“The doctors told me that stress could have been a factor in my miscarriage.

“A post-mortem is taking place and we will know more about what happened in four weeks.”

The family are now relying on handouts from a food bank to survive and face an anxious wait to see if the qualify for a hardship payment.

Victoria added: “I feel abandoned and badly let down by the DWP. We’ve been left penniless.

“We are trying to come to terms with losing our baby and I’m still worrying about how we will make ends meet.

“The DWP need to think about the stress they put people under before they cut off vital support.”

A DWP spokeswoman said: “We have invited Ms Bagnall to the Jobcentre to discuss the support available. Decisions for JSA are made following consideration of all the information provided by the claimant.

“Sanctions are only used in a small percentage of cases, when people fail to meet agreed commitments in return for benefits.

“People can apply for a hardship payment, which does not have to be repaid back.

“Anyone who disagrees with a decision has the right to appeal.”

What is Jobseekers Allowance?

People can apply for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) to help them as they look for work.

First, they must check to see if they are eligible and, if they are, make a claim and go to an interview at a local Jobcentre Plus office.

Once they receive payments they must keep to their agreement to look for work.

Otherwise, the payments will be stopped.

There is a maximum amount a person can receive, and how much they are entitled to depends on things such as their age, income and savings.

Weekly amounts for couples are up to £114.85, while people aged 25 and over can receive up to £73.10.

Those under 24 can receive up to £57.90.

Payments are usually made every two weeks.