I have just heard that Welfarite died recently after a long battle with cancer.
He made a huge contribution to Askaboutmoney. I have selected
just a few of his 3,144 posts to show the enormous contribution he made to Askaboutmoney.. Thousands of people, whom he never met, benefited from the answers he provided and thousands more will continue to benefit from the Key Posts he wrote.
He made the complex world of welfare entitlements easier to understand and he combined this with good practical advice. Many of these great posts were written while he was undergoing intensive medical treatment.
A few people asked me if he had official responsibility within the Department to answer questions. He hadn't - he did all this voluntarily.
Askaboutmoney was not the only place he was helping other people. From reading his Facebook page, he was also actively involved in other projects, and brought the same energy, enthusiasm and helpful approach to them also.
I never met Welfarite in person but from his posts on askaboutmoney and from reading his Facebook page, I feel as if I knew him and that we have all lost a friend.
May he rest in peace.