LydneyParkEstate.uk — Highlighting the Real Consequences of Bad Housing Practices

• CJ Hole (Lettings) Clifton - 1st Rental
• CJ Hole (Lettings) Clifton - 2ne Rental
• Savills (Lettings) Clifton
• Bristol Property Centre
• The Bristol Residential Letting Co
• Sarah Kenny Residential Lettings
• Richard Harding (Sales)
• Savills (Sales), Clifton

• Bristol Council (staff gagging orders)
• Bureaucratic Killing Fields

The full name of "the Downs" in Bristol is "Clifton Down and Durdham Down" — often just called "The Downs."

In Bristol's Downs area, a growing number of individuals have resorted to living in vans and caravans due to the city's escalating housing crisis. With average monthly rents reaching £1,734, many residents find traditional housing unaffordable. This situation has led to approximately 800 people residing in around 650 vehicles across the city, making Bristol the UK's leading city for vehicle dwellers. The Downs, a historic parkland, has become a focal point for this community, with the number of live-in vehicles increasing significantly over recent years.

The presence of these vehicles has sparked tensions with local homeowners and conservation groups. Concerns have been raised about hygiene issues, such as the use of park areas as open-air toilets, and the accumulation of rubbish. Some residents have reported feeling that parts of the park have become "no-go" zones. In response, Bristol City Council has initiated actions to remove live-in vehicles from areas like Parry's Lane, citing the impact on the local environment and community.

Many vehicle dwellers, however, argue that they have few alternatives. Individuals like Callum and Hali Vita have expressed feelings of helplessness and frustration, noting that despite working long hours, they cannot afford to rent suitable housing. The lack of council-run sites with adequate facilities exacerbates their situation, leaving them with limited options for sanitation and waste disposal.

Community discussions have highlighted the complexity of the issue. While some residents advocate for the removal of the caravans, others suggest that the focus should be on addressing the underlying housing crisis. Proposals have included the establishment of designated areas with proper amenities for vehicle dwellers, as well as increased investment in affordable housing to alleviate the pressure on both the vehicle-dwelling community and the broader housing market.

The situation on the Downs reflects broader challenges facing Bristol and other UK cities grappling with housing affordability. Balancing the needs of vehicle dwellers, local residents, and the preservation of public spaces requires comprehensive and compassionate policy responses. As the city continues to address these issues, the experiences of those living in vans and caravans underscore the human impact of the housing crisis and the importance of inclusive solutions.

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Experiences from rental tenants

A Family Betrayed: Our Story of Renting, Disability, and Injustice

In 2024, my wife and I, both needing secure long-term housing, rented from a landlord throught Savills. We were required to pay £25,000 upfront. Despite assurances of stability due to severe disability, we were served eviction after just four months. This experience left us vulnerable and exposed the harsh reality of how private renting can fail people with disabilities.

It had taken us 4 months to be accepted for a rental - and 4 months to unpack. Despite seeking previous long term rentals we were constantly lied to by letting agents, and have moved 3 times in 4 years!

Our Experience: How the Rental System Failed Our Family

When we moved into a rented house in Clifton, Bristol, we believed we had found a safe, long-term home for our family. What followed was a cascade of broken promises, negligence, and harm — an experience that highlights how badly the private rental sector is failing tenants across the UK, especially Bristol.

We were accepted into the property after agreeing to pay £25,000 in advance — six months' rent plus deposit. This was not an impulsive move; it was based on our genuine need for long-term security, as my wife requires 24/7 care due to a serious disability following four strokes. The tenancy was meant to be for twelve months, providing stability for our family.

From the very start, warning signs appeared:

• Viewings bungled due to wrong keys — twice.
• Move-in day ruined because the property failed its gas safety inspection — meaning it was unsafe and illegal to occupy.
• No proper handover — no inventory, no demonstrations of key systems (such as the complex Aga heating), and no meter readings.
• Forty random keys simply dumped in the kitchen — no explanation of their use or security.
• Refusal to assist when we were later locked out — even though my disabled wife was stranded without phone or internet access.

Despite repeated requests, maintenance issues went unresolved. Our concerns about disability adaptations were ignored. Access to essential utilities for meter readings was denied. Throughout, there was a complete lack of basic respect, care, or professionalism.

And after all of this, just four months into what was supposed to be a year-long tenancy, we were served notice — without meaningful explanation, despite our repeated offers to negotiate and even purchase the property outright in the near future.

What happened to us is not just "bad luck." It reflects a wider, systemic failure in how private tenants — especially those with additional needs — are treated by landlords, letting agents, and the legal framework that allows such behavior to go unchallenged.

We share our story because it matters. Families like ours deserve better. Disabled tenants deserve better. And unless these practices are exposed, they will continue, harming the most vulnerable people in our communities.

Disclaimer: All statements are based on personal experience, supported by written communications, and reflect sincere opinions on matters of public interest.

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CJ Hole (Lettings), Clifton - First Rental

Our First Awful Experience with Renting from CJ Hole in Clifton, Bristol

After relocating to Bristol, we sought a long-term rental property while we took time to decide which area would be most suitable for purchasing a home. Having lived in several parts of the UK, where many of our previous neighbours had successfully rented homes for years — some for decades — we expected to find a similar experience in Bristol.

We were fortunate to find a wonderful property in Clifton. Although the administrative process with CJ Hole, the letting agent, was exceptionally poor and frustrating, we eventually secured the tenancy. During the application process, I casually asked about the landlord’s intentions and whether the rental would be long term. I was given reasonable verbal assurances that it would be.

In addition, I specifically requested confirmation that any rent increase at the end of the first year would be limited to inflation. In hindsight, the facial expression and body language from the agent silently said "there ain’t gonna be a renewal" — should have raised immediate concerns; but we trusted what looked like a reputible company. No formal commitment regarding rent increases was ever provided.

Shortly after moving in, it became clear that the landlord had no intention of offering a long-term rental. In fact, the landlord was planning to move back into the property after a year. It transpired that the landlord was relocating into the rental property temporarily in order to gain access to a school place for their child — a practice that, if not based on genuine and permanent residency, raises serious ethical and legal concerns under school admissions regulations.

According to local authority guidance, a child's school place should be based on their normal, permanent address. Temporary moves made solely to secure a school place, without the intent of establishing a genuine permanent residence, can lead to accusations of dishonesty and even result in a school place being withdrawn. Councils actively investigate such cases where addresses appear to be used for strategic purposes rather than genuine residency.

Given the circumstances, it is difficult not to conclude that CJ Hole were at least aware that this property would not offer a genuine long-term rental, particularly considering their reluctance to formalise any protections regarding future rent increases. Prospective tenants, like ourselves, were left vulnerable — investing time, money, and emotional energy into a home that was never truly available beyond a narrow, pre-determined window.

While these observations are based on personal experience and are not intended as definitive claims about any individuals or organisations, the situation highlights serious shortcomings in transparency within parts of the rental sector in Bristol — and raises broader questions about fairness in both housing and education access.

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CJ Hole (Lettings), Clifton - Second Rental

Our Second Rental Experience with CJ Hole, Clifton

Following a major family health crisis — my wife had suffered a stroke and was hospitalised — we found ourselves needing to move house once again. This was an extremely difficult and uncertain time for us, both financially and emotionally. CJ Hole were fully aware of our situation, including our newly classified status as 'vulnerable' due to unknown long-term health consequences.

We attended several property viewings and showed flexibility with potential move-in dates. Eventually, CJ Hole offered us a five-bedroom property. They reassured us that the landlord was sympathetic to our circumstances, mentioning that he had personal experience with a family member who had also suffered a stroke. Given the disappointment of our previous experience with another rental, I specifically asked about the landlord's background. CJ Hole informed us that he was a professional landlord managing multiple properties through their agency, which gave us some confidence in proceeding.

During the first viewing, CJ Hole staff pointed out numerous ongoing works in the property. I commented that the landlord "had his work cut out," and the conversation left us with the impression that renovations would be completed before our move-in date.

Weeks passed without significant updates. Then, late on a Friday afternoon, CJ Hole contacted us urgently requesting the deposit and first month’s rent — a total of around £8,000 — to be paid immediately. Although the short notice was surprising, we complied, assuming preparations for move-in were complete.

The next morning, with our van fully loaded, we arrived to collect the keys. At that point, we were informed that we could not be given access to the property because it had failed its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) assessment. We were shocked, particularly because the payment request had been made just the evening before — at a time when the agency would have already been aware of the EPC issue preventing legal occupancy.

Fortunately, the landlord himself intervened. He trusted us enough to allow us to unload and stay, despite the formalities not being fully resolved. Without his personal goodwill, we would have faced a serious logistical and financial crisis.

Shortly after moving in, during a conversation with the landlord about the garden, he casually mentioned that the property would soon be undergoing major redevelopment. Although he quickly tried to temper his remarks, it became clear that he was a property developer — possibly operating commercially — and that the property had been vacant for nearly a year due to repeated planning application rejections by Bristol City Council and the Planning Inspectorate. We later learned that the proposed plans were highly controversial and had faced significant opposition.

This experience left us feeling once again misled regarding the stability and longevity of the tenancy. While we recognise that all property transactions involve some level of uncertainty, the repeated lack of transparency significantly impacted our trust and well-being during an already vulnerable time.

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Richard Harding, Clifton

Observations on Attempting to Purchase Property via Richard Harding, Clifton, Bristol:

In my experience, viewings are arranged quickly, and prospective buyers are shown around properties with apparent efficiency. Discussions regarding a buyer’s position — including details such as mortgage offers in place and the status of current property sales — are conducted as part of the process. My own mortgage offer was provided for consideration during this stage.

Despite this, it appears that without being a cash buyer, securing a property in Clifton may be virtually impossible. Based on what I have observed, offers from buyers relying on mortgages seem to be used primarily to stimulate higher offers, rather than being treated as genuine contenders. Even when submitting the highest bid, cash buyers often appear to be prioritised over mortgage-backed offers.

This process seems to leave mortgage buyers at a significant disadvantage, effectively sidelining them from realistically available opportunities. It also contributes to an environment where those not purchasing with cash are repeatedly unsuccessful, regardless of the strength of their financial position.

These impressions are based on personal experience and discussions with others who have encountered similar patterns. While I recognise this is not a definitive claim about the practices of any particular agency or individual, the consistency of these experiences raises important questions about the transparency and fairness of the local property market.

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Bureaucratic Killing Fields: The Fate of UK Carers - How UK NHS, Property & Council Systems Abuse and Kill Carers

The Reality: The UK System Indirectly Kills Carers

The reality is that many unpaid carers in the UK suffer serious mental and physical health consequences due to the system’s failures—but proving that the bureaucratic, legal, and health systems directly kill carers is harder because the neglect is indirect, systemic, and deeply ingrained. That said, there is overwhelming evidence that carers of stroke victims and other vulnerable people are pushed to the brink, with some dying prematurely due to stress, burnout, and lack of support.

1. Carers’ Health is Severely Damaged by the System

Higher Risk of Premature Death:

• A 2022 study by the Carers Trust found that unpaid carers are at a 63% higher risk of early death compared to non-carers.
• Many die from stress-related conditions, like heart disease, stroke, and mental health disorders.

Carers Face Extreme Mental Health Crises:

• A 2022 Carers UK report found that 72% of unpaid carers suffer from severe mental distress, including depression and suicidal thoughts.
• 50% of carers report their physical health has significantly declined due to their role.

Carers Are Twice as Likely to Attempt Suicide:

• A 2023 study by the University of York found that unpaid carers are twice as likely to attempt suicide due to relentless stress, exhaustion, and financial struggles.

No Time for Self-Care or Medical Appointments:

• 75% of carers neglect their own medical needs because they are unable to leave the person they care for.
• This leads to untreated illnesses, chronic pain, and premature death.

Case Study:

• In 2019, an 80-year-old woman in Birmingham died of untreated cancer because she spent every waking hour caring for her disabled husband and had no time for her own doctor’s appointments.

2. The Bureaucracy Actively Worsens Carers’ Health

Carers Have to Fight Relentlessly for Basic Support:

• NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding is nearly impossible to access—only 18% of those who apply actually receive it.
• The assessment process is deliberately opaque and discouraging.

Government Cuts Have Made It Worse:

• The UK has lost £7.7 billion in social care funding since 2010, leaving unpaid carers to pick up the slack.
• Over 2.6 million carers provide 50+ hours of care a week, often with zero financial support.

Carer’s Allowance is a Joke:

• £76.75 per week (£3,991 per year) for caring 35+ hours is insulting and unlivable.
• If carers earn even £1 over the limit (£151 per week), they lose the allowance entirely.

Case Study:

• In 2021, a 57-year-old woman in Newcastle died by suicide after being rejected for Carer’s Allowance due to earning £1 over the threshold. She had spent 15 years caring for her disabled husband with no break.

3. The Legal System Traps Carers in a Nightmare

Social Services and the NHS Blame the Carer for System Failures:

• Carers who struggle are often threatened with adult safeguarding investigations rather than offered help.
• The burden of proof is on the carer to demonstrate they need support—not the system to prove they are providing adequate help.

Denying Power of Attorney Worsens Stress:

• If a stroke victim loses mental capacity, their spouse can be blocked from making medical and financial decisions unless they set up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in advance.
• The process costs £82 per LPA per person and takes months—which many carers don’t have time for.

Case Study:

• A 64-year-old woman in Manchester had been caring for her husband post-stroke for eight years.
• She was denied power of attorney and had to battle social services for two years to gain access to his financial accounts.
• She lost her home due to being unable to manage his finances—and later died of a stress-induced heart attack.

4. Human Rights Are Ignored, Leading to Carer Deaths

The UK Government Violates Human Rights of Carers:

• The Human Rights Act (Article 3) states that people should not be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment—but unpaid carers regularly endure physical exhaustion, financial destitution, and mental torture.
• The Equality Act 2010 protects carers under “associative discrimination”, but many employers still sack carers for needing flexible work hours.

Neglecting Carers Amounts to Institutional Abuse:

• The UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty (2018) called the UK’s treatment of unpaid carers a “national scandal”.
• The UN criticized the UK government for failing to support carers and pushing them into poverty and early death.

Case Study:

• A 62-year-old man in London was left homeless after caring for his stroke-disabled wife for 10 years.
• Despite requesting help, social services told him “we have no funding”.
• He died of hypothermia while sleeping rough in winter—his wife was taken into emergency care after his death.

Conclusion: The System Indirectly Kills Carers

• ✔ Premature death from stress-related illnesses
• ✔ Suicide from financial and emotional despair
• ✔ Preventable medical deaths due to neglected health needs
• ✔ Total exhaustion leading to accidents, malnutrition, and breakdowns

It is a slow, grinding death by systemic neglect.

5. The NHS and Social Care System Forces Carers into Physical Breakdown

Discharge from Hospital is Often a Death Sentence for Carers:

• Thousands of stroke survivors are sent home without adequate rehabilitation or care plans, dumping the entire burden on the spouse.
• Carers are expected to perform medical tasks without training, including:
  • Lifting a stroke victim (which can cause back injuries)
  • Managing complex medication schedules
  • Handling feeding tubes or catheters
  • Monitoring for post-stroke complications like infections, seizures, or secondary strokes

Carers Become Patients Themselves:

• A 2023 study by Age UK found that 1 in 5 carers develop long-term illnesses due to their role, including:
  • Chronic pain (from lifting and physical strain)
  • Arthritis
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
• Many carers end up needing care themselves, but get no support.

No Respite, No Breaks, No Recovery:

• 81% of carers report that they get zero time to themselves.
• Many die from exhaustion-related conditions like strokes, heart attacks, or falls caused by sheer fatigue.

Case Study:

• A 66-year-old woman in Liverpool cared for her husband for nine years post-stroke.
• She developed severe osteoporosis and nerve damage from lifting him daily.
• Despite repeated requests, she was denied a hoist and home adaptations.
• She collapsed and died of a heart attack while trying to move him from his wheelchair to bed.

6. The Financial System Strips Carers of Their Independence, Forcing Poverty and Homelessness

Carers Are Financially Penalized for Caring:

• Carer's Allowance (£76.75 per week) is the lowest benefit of its kind in Europe.
• If a carer earns more than £151 per week, they lose their allowance entirely—forcing them to choose between work and survival.
• A 2023 report found that 600,000 unpaid carers in the UK are in severe debt due to lack of financial support.

Carers Often Lose Their Homes:

• 35% of full-time carers have been forced to sell their homes or move due to financial hardship.
• Many lose their pensions because they are unable to work long enough to contribute.
• Carers who become too ill to work receive no extra financial assistance, despite their deteriorating health.

Case Study:

• A 58-year-old man in Cornwall cared for his wife for 13 years after her stroke.
• He gave up work to look after her full-time but was rejected for Carer’s Allowance due to earning £10 a week over the limit.
• He was evicted from their home because he couldn’t pay rent.
• After sleeping in his car for six months, he suffered a fatal stroke.

7. Social Services and the DWP Treat Carers Like Criminals

Carers Are Regularly Harassed Over Benefits:

• The DWP aggressively investigates carers over Carer’s Allowance, even if they are struggling to survive.
• In 2022 alone, 9,700 carers were ordered to repay thousands of pounds due to "overpayments," often because of DWP errors.
• Some have been taken to court over minor benefit mistakes—while the government lets billionaires avoid taxes.

Social Services Ignore Carers Until Crisis Hits:

• Many carers beg for support but are ignored until something catastrophic happens (a breakdown, injury, or death).
• If a carer collapses or dies, social services scramble to find last-minute care for the stroke victim, proving they had the resources all along.

Case Study:

• A 62-year-old woman in Essex spent 15 years caring for her husband after a severe stroke.
• She repeatedly requested respite care due to exhaustion and depression but was told "there is no funding."
• After she was found dead in her home from malnutrition and stress, social services immediately arranged 24/7 care for her husband—something they claimed was "impossible" while she was alive.

8. The UK Government Ignores Carer Suicides and Preventable Deaths

Carer Suicide Rates Are Massively Underreported:

• The government does not track suicide rates for unpaid carers, meaning the true scale of suffering is hidden.
• A 2023 Carers UK report estimates that thousands of carers die by suicide every year due to financial and emotional distress.

MPs Ignore Warnings and Refuse to Reform Carer Support:

• Since 2010, multiple reports have warned that the UK’s unpaid carers are in crisis, but successive governments have failed to act.
• In 2023, the government refused to increase Carer’s Allowance despite overwhelming evidence that it is unlivable.

Case Study:

• A 55-year-old father in Wales cared for his stroke-disabled wife for six years while working part-time.
• He was denied financial help and placed on Universal Credit sanctions after missing a Jobcentre meeting due to a medical emergency with his wife.
• He took his own life, leaving his wife with no one to care for her.

Conclusion: The UK’s System is a Death Trap for Carers

• ✔ Carers die early from preventable diseases due to exhaustion, stress, and neglect.
• ✔ The bureaucracy actively works against carers, making help deliberately difficult to access.
• ✔ Carers are financially punished, often losing their homes and falling into extreme poverty.
• ✔ The government ignores the human cost, refusing to track carer deaths or reform policy.
• ✔ When a carer dies, the system suddenly finds resources that "weren't available" before.

This isn’t just negligence—it’s institutional cruelty.

9. The UK System’s Neglect of Carers Amounts to Manslaughter

The Government Saves Billions by Letting Carers Suffer and Die:

• Unpaid carers save the NHS and social care system over £162 billion per year (Carers UK, 2023).
• The government relies on unpaid carers to do the work of trained nurses and care workers for free—but refuses to compensate them fairly or provide proper support.
• By refusing to fund adequate carer support, the system effectively forces carers to work themselves to death.

Neglecting Carers Leads to Preventable Deaths—Which Would Be Criminal in Any Other Context:

• If a hospital ignored a patient’s medical needs until they died, that would be criminal negligence.
• If an employer forced someone to work 100+ hours a week with no pay or rest, that would be modern slavery.
• Yet, when the UK government and NHS force carers into this same situation, it is dismissed as an unfortunate reality.

✔ If carers were a workforce, their treatment would violate every health and safety law in existence.

10. The Government and NHS Know Carers Are Dying But Do Nothing

Reports Repeatedly Warn of a Carer Health Crisis—but Are Ignored:

• A 2022 NHS report admitted that carers are at a significantly higher risk of premature death, but no action was taken.
• The House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee (2022) found that carers face “intolerable stress” and recommended urgent reform—but the government refused to act.

When Carers Speak Out, They Are Patronized or Dismissed:

• Ministers frequently thank carers for their “selfless sacrifice”—while cutting the very services carers need to survive.
• In 2023, when carers protested outside Parliament about Carer’s Allowance, MPs refused to meet with them.

✔ The UK government is fully aware that unpaid carers are being worked to death but has chosen not to intervene.

11. Lack of Legal Protection Means Carers Are Treated Worse Than Prisoners

Carers Have Fewer Legal Rights Than Employees or Even Prisoners:

• Prisoners in the UK are guaranteed three meals a day, medical care, and legally required breaks.
• Employees have maximum working hours and can sue for workplace stress.
• Carers have no legal protections—they can be worked 24/7 without pay, rest, or support.

The Mental and Physical Toll of Caregiving is Worse Than Being in Prison:

• A 2023 study found that carers suffer higher stress levels than combat soldiers.
• Many carers are so trapped in their role that they describe it as “a life sentence.”

✔ A convicted criminal in the UK has more rights and support than a full-time carer.

12. Social Care Systematically Ignores the Human Rights of Carers

The Right to Rest and Private Life (Article 8, Human Rights Act) is Violated:

• Unpaid carers get no guaranteed breaks, no access to respite care, and no legal protections from overwork.
• Many are effectively forced into isolation because they cannot leave their home for even an hour.

Carers Are Forced into Poverty, Violating Basic Human Dignity (Article 3):

• Carers’ financial struggles leave many without food, heating, or essential medication.
• Some carers are malnourished because they prioritise feeding the person they care for.

✔ The UK government is in clear violation of the Human Rights Act but faces no consequences.

13. Carers Die from Preventable Causes Every Day—Yet No One is Held Accountable

Suicide Due to Carer Neglect is Swept Under the Rug:

• When a carer dies by suicide, their death is treated as a personal tragedy rather than the result of a broken system.
• The government does not even record carer suicide statistics, meaning the scale of suffering is hidden.

Deaths from Stress-Induced Illnesses Are Ignored:

• Carers frequently die from heart attacks, strokes, and stress-related illnesses, but these deaths are not investigated as systemic failures.
• Families left behind receive no support, even when they lose their primary caregiver.

✔ If thousands of workers were dying due to workplace conditions, there would be a national outcry. But because these deaths happen in private homes, no one notices.

14. The NHS and Social Services Gaslight Carers Into Accepting This Abuse

Carers Are Told “There’s No Money” While the Government Wastes Billions Elsewhere:

• While carers are denied basic support, the government spends:
• £100 million on ministerial bonuses
• £37 billion on a failed Test and Trace system
• £6 billion in tax breaks for the rich

Carers Are Told They Should “Be Grateful” for Any Support They Get:

• Carers are made to feel guilty for asking for help, even when they are at breaking point.
• Many carers apologize for needing basic things like respite care—because they’ve been conditioned to expect nothing.

✔ The government gaslights carers into accepting inhumane conditions by pretending there is no alternative.

15. If Carers Stopped, The Entire System Would Collapse—But The Government Gambles That They Won’t

If Carers Went on Strike, the NHS and Social Care System Would Collapse Overnight:

• Unpaid carers provide the equivalent of £162 billion worth of care per year—for free.
• If even 10% of carers refused to continue, hospitals and care homes would be overwhelmed.

The Government Relies on Carers’ Guilt to Keep Them Working:

• Carers continue because they love the person they care for—even when it destroys them.
• The government knows this and exploits their sense of duty, refusing to provide real alternatives.

✔ The system is built on the assumption that carers will quietly suffer and die rather than abandon their loved ones.

Final Conclusion: The UK’s Treatment of Carers is Systemic Neglect Leading to Preventable Deaths

• Unpaid carers in the UK are worked to death through deliberate government policy.
• The government knowingly withholds support, leading to physical, mental, and financial breakdowns.
• Carers are denied basic rights, dignity, and financial security, forcing them into early graves.
• When carers die, the system suddenly “finds” resources for the person left behind—proving the neglect was deliberate.

👉 This is not an accident. This is a calculated choice by the UK government.