Earlierthis month, a London Coroner’s Court heard that on June 13 this year,Christelle Pardo leapt from the sixth-floor balcony of her sister’sflat in Hackney, east London, holding her five-month-old son Kayjah inher arms. She did so after months of dire poverty. Both mother and sonwere killed.

Thirty-two-year-old Christelle, who was pregnantwith her second child, was a French national who had been living inBritain for 11 years. She graduated from the London MetropolitanUniversity in May 2008 with a degree in philosophy and shortly afterbegan claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)—the main benefit availablefor those without employment but “actively seeking work.”

InDecember 2008, her JSA was stopped as she was within 11 weeks of givingbirth and was therefore considered unable to work. The withdrawal ofJSA meant that Christelle’s entitlement to housing benefit also stopped.

Thecourt heard that Christelle had tried to claim back-up Income Support—ameans-tested benefit paid to those temporarily unable to work, withlittle other means of sustenance. But although she met the criteria,her application was rejected on the grounds that she had not proven shehad been in continuous employment in the UK for the five yearsprior—despite having worked or studied in Britain since 1997.

Christelle’sapplication for child benefit was then rejected in April, on thegrounds that she had been denied Income Support. With Hackney Councilhaving served a demand for the repayment of £200 housing benefit,Christelle made two further appeals for Income Support, both of whichwere rejected.

Her attempt to challenge the Department of Worksand Pensions (DWP) by taking it to tribunal was repeatedly thwarted.Time and again, she was not given a date for her hearing.

Christellelast phoned the DWP on June 12. No details are available of what wassaid during the phone call. One can reasonably infer, however, that sheonce again came up against indifference to her plight. The followingday, Christelle killed herself and her son.

Her sister, Olaya,told the inquest that she had gone to the shops to buy some milk, andreturned home to find the front door open. “I called for Christelle anddidn’t hear anything,” Olaya said. “I went out to the balcony and whenI looked over I could see my sister and Kayjah.”

Christelle diedat the scene. Kayjah died in a nearby hospital later that day. At thetime of their death, mother and child had been left without anyfinancial support for seven months. They only had a roof over theirheads because Olaya had taken the pair into her own home. Christellewas unable to return to France because she no longer had relationsthere, Olaya said. “If it had not been for me she would have been outon the street,” she told the court.