6:10am Saturday 15th November 2008
By Will Kilner
Bradford Coroner Roger Whittaker has demanded a full inquiry into the “arrogant and reprehensible” conduct of the Child Support Agency (CSA) in the aftermath of a dad’s suicide.
An inquest heard how the CSA wrote to Neil Hutchinson, 33, about his arrears long after he hanged himself at his home on March 7 this year.
The coroners court heard how the CSA had been notified of the man’s death on five occasions, but continued to send letters to him, the most recent of which was dated August 21.
Mr Whittaker said he was “horrified” at the way the CSA wrote when they were aware of the death.
The court heard that the CSA had been told of the death by the coroners office, Mr Hutchinson’s parents and his former partner.
In a last desperate bid to get the message across, the family even asked Batley and Spen MP Mike Wood to contact the CSA.
Earlier in proceedings, the bereaved parents claimed their son, who worked as a tape edger at a bed factory, had been “hounded” to death by demands for payment by the CSA.
In the 1990s, Mr Hutchinson, School Street, Birstall, had fathered a child, but split up with the girl’s mother.
In a statement, Eileen Hutchinson, Mr Hutchinson’s mother, said: “He was bombarded with letters from the CSA.”
She said he was £5,000 in arrears by 2002 which increased to £6,500 by 2003.
Mr Hutchinson feared the bailiffs would be sent in if the arrears were not settled, according to Mrs Hutchinson.
She said: “We all believe he was hounded into ending his life by the CSA.”
Mrs Hutchinson told the court she had contacted the CSA on her son’s behalf when the demands increased from £80 to £110 a week. “They said it was a ploy they regularly used to get people to contact them,” she said.
Peter Rose, of Dewsbury Coroners’ Office, the first person to notify the CSA, said: “They have not amended their records and have just ignored each occasion that information was passed to them.”
After the inquest, Keith Hutchinson, Mr Hutchinson’s dad, welcomed Mr Whittaker’s call for a full inquiry. He said: “The whole situation has been disgusting. It’s bad enough losing your son with being harassed and hounded afterwards.”
A Child Support Agency spokesman said: “The Child Support Agency takes the coroner’s reported remarks extremely seriously and is urgently investigating the facts alleged at the inquest.
“It would not be appropriate to comment further until we have seen a full transcript of the proceedings. In the meantime we offer our sincere condolences to the family of Mr Hutchinson.”
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/trade_directory/