When the System Fails a Father
Being a dad means “protecting, providing, and making sure your kids feel safe.” But for Phillip Herron, a 34-year-old single father from Durham, England, the system failed.
With only $6 in his bank account, Phillip took his own life in 2019 while waiting for his first Universal Credit payment.
The UK program, meant to “simplify the welfare system,” left him waiting weeks without support—a delay that proved fatal.
His story is a heartbreaking reminder of what can happen when help comes too late: “Debt, anxiety, and silence from those who were supposed to help.”
