A woman who can’t afford to pay for her mum’s funeral after losing her job as an electrical engineer has spoken of her desperation.
Siobhan Demetriades is struggling to raise the £2,300 she owes a funeral home after burying her mum earlier this month. Bridget Gibson was just 54-years-old when died following a battle with lung cancer in April.
Sadly, Bridget did not have life insurance or a funeral plan, leaving only Siobhan to pay for the service. The 32-year-old, from Whalley Range, currently has no way of covering the costs – and is desperately hoping Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can help her with funding.
“Since my mum passed, I haven’t been able to grieve properly,” she said as she became emotional. “They’re [the DWP] are making me feel like I want to give up.
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“I’m not getting any help. Everything they have asked me to do, I’m doing and getting rejected. They’ve told me to go on different benefits but I don’t qualify for them.
“My mum was diagnosed terminally ill with lung cancer and a brain tumour which turned cancerous. She was placed on end-of-life treatment. I visited mum every day to make sure she knew someone was with her so she never felt alone but most of all felt loved.”
As her mother’s condition worsened, Siobhan struggled to concentrate at work and unfortunately lost her job as an electrical engineer. Just months before Bridget’s death, Siobhan also discovered she was pregnant and tragically suffered a miscarriage.
“I couldn’t concentrate wiring stuff up at work as an electrical engineer,” she continued. “I would either electrocute myself or send out a unit that wasn’t working properly and I was always upset in work.
“I ended up poorly. I didn’t know I was pregnant and miscarried. My mum died on April 26 and I didn’t manage to bury her until June 10.”
Siobhan, who currently receives Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), claims she applied for a grant ahead of the funeral but her application was denied by the DWP. In a desperate bid for funding, she has since set up a Gofundme appeal in hopes of raising some cash.
“I need £2,300 but have so far managed to raise £290,” she continued. “Because of the way I am at the moment, I feel like I have no friends or anything. I’ve just gone into my own world.
“I wasn’t too sure about setting the Gofundme up but I did and I put it out there and it’s been overwhelming seeing people donate.”
A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said Siobhan has since been awarded Personal Independence Payment and is set to receive a lump sum of over £1,000.
In a statement, the DWP said: “The death of someone close can be very distressing and our sincere condolences are with Ms Demetriades.
“She has been supported by the DWP financially through Employment and Support Allowance and has since been awarded Personal Independence Payment, receiving a lump sum of over £1,000.”
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