A woman who missed her husband's final phone call while her son played a game on her phone has been forced to rely on Universal Credit. Lisa Marshall, 34, has spoken out after her husband Alan died by suicide.
Alan, from Glasgow, had tried to call her, but she missed it as her son was using her phone to play Roblox. Since Alan's death, Lisa has been unable to work after being diagnosed with Complex PTSD.
Now, the mother of three has been left on Universal Credit after Alan's accounts were frozen. She said: "Alan had no mental health issues, he'd never been to the doctors, or spoken to me about any struggles.
"We were just a normal family; there were no warning signs at all. It could happen to anybody. I missed a call from him an hour before it happened, but I hadn't thought much of it at the time.
"Nothing can prepare you for it. When the police came to my door, I was trying to put the kids to bed and they were all clinging to me.
"It was horrendous, I don't think you ever get over that. The police asked lots of questions about our marriage, they said usually these things happen because of debt, or a breakup, or not getting access to kids, but there was nothing like that.
"There wasn't even a note. I felt like my life was over, but I still had three kids to look after, they gave me strength every day.
"My children keep asking me why he did it, I don't want them to think they weren't good enough for him to stay.
"I never thought I'd be on benefits, but they really helped me for the first few months after he died," she said.
She added: "The life insurance payout took over a year, but I know for some widows, it can take three or four years, or they don't get anything at all.
"I get messages from widows everyday, who have had to sell their house, or move back in with their parents.
"Make sure you have financial security, because the financial burden of being widowed adds a whole other layer of stress," she said.
