Man Sets Himself On Fire Outside Jobcentre

[Zaune]

The Guardian

A man has set himself on fire outside of a Birmingham job centre after what reports suggest was a dispute over benefit payments.

The 48-year-old unnamed man is understood to have doused himself in flammable liquid and tied himself to railings after a dispute inside the job centre in Selly Oak on Thursday morning.

Police arrived on scene after the Jobcentre Plus was evacuated and managed to extinguish the fire. The man was later taken to hospital with burns to his legs.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands police said: "Officers were called at around 9.18am to reports that a man had tied himself to railings and was threatening to set himself on fire.

"The man doused himself in liquid and set himself alight.

"Officers extinguished the fire and the man was taken to hospital with burns to his legs. The injuries are not believed to be life threatening."

An eyewitness who spoke to the Birmingham Mail, who did not want to be named, said: "The guy came into the job centre with petrol and made threats, so they evacuated the whole building. I think it was something to do with a payment he had not received.

"He tied himself to the railings and tore open the bottom of his trousers. You could smell the fumes from the liquid he used, but the police arrived by the time he had set himself alight and they managed to put him out quite quickly.

"He would have to have been very desperate to have done something like that.

"It's shocking that somebody could have been driven to those depths."

West Midlands police say that the man is now undergoing a mental health assessment.

The incident follows an attempted suicide in a Liverpool benefits office earlier this year. In April senior Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) managers also sent a note to all staff warning that they take the "utmost care and sensitivity" when dealing with claimants, as a result of "difficult changes which some of our more vulnerable customers may take some time to accept and adjust to".

The email added: "Very sadly, only last week a customer of DWP attempted suicide" – which it adds is "said to be the result of receiving a letter" informing him that his sickness benefit would be cut off.

Last year disability campaigners warned ministers that flaws in work capability assessments which determine the level of support and benefits people are entitled to, would lead to some mentally ill people taking their own lives.

The Guardian understands that internal DWP figures do not suggest a rise in such incidents in recent months.

A spokesman for the DWP told the Birmingham Mail: "Police were called after an incident today at Selly Oak job centre.

"The office will remain closed for the rest of the day with claimants directed to a neighbouring office.

"It would be inappropriate to say more at this time."

Are you happy now, Mr Cameron?

[Dartzap]

Happens more than you think. That and self-harming and smearing the resulting blood splatter over the reception window. Happened a few times when I was doing placement at the local housing department ~5 years ago.

Not that it make the situation better, but it is possible this chap has mental health difficulties as well.

[Eternal_Freedom]

On a slightly tangential note, I fucking HATE it when claimants are referred to as "customers." It's in every fucking letter and email I get from them. Yes, I'm a "customer", because obviously I have a choice of where to go for disability alloawance. Fuckers.

On topic, it's sad that someone does this kind of thing, but equally good that they put him out in short order. It could have been a lot worse.

[Surlethe]

it is possible this chap has mental health difficulties as well.

Understatement of the century. Anybody willing to self-immolate has got to be mentally unsound.

[Vendetta]

Or just frustrated that they can't set fire to George Osbourne.

[Dartzap]

it is possible this chap has mental health difficulties as well.

Understatement of the century. Anybody willing to self-immolate has got to be mentally unsound.

In this day and age, self-immolation is not the surefire (ahem) sign of mental illness it once was. Desperation is a powerful motivator.