A farmer took his own life the day before Chancellor Rachel Reeves was set to announce changes to inheritance tax for farmers, an inquest has heard.
John Charlesworth, 78, who went by his middle name of Philip, was found dead by his son Jonathan Charlesworth, 47, in a barn on their farm in Silkstone, Barnsley on October 29 last year.
An inquest at Sheffield Coroner’s Court heard Mr Charlesworth had been struggling to care for his wife, who had severe dementia and cancer.
However, Mr Charlesworth’s son insists that the timing of the farmer’s death was “no coincidence” - a conclusion echoed last week by coroner Tanya Rawden, who found that Mr Charlesworth had been “worried about implications of new regulations around inheritance tax.”
"I think he was under stress looking after my mum but if it hadn't been for worries about inheritance tax he would still be here today,” Mr Charlesworth told the hearing.
"He wouldn't have put us all through that for any other reason.”
Mr Charlesworth went on to say there was a “lack of information” surrounding the inheritance tax proposals, which would apply to agricultural assets over £1 million and come into effect from April 2026.
He said that in the months leading up to his father’s death, inheritance tax was all his father talked about, as it was unclear who would be affected and to what extent.
"I think he woke up that morning and thought, 'I'm not risking it, I'm not risking losing everything I've worked for',” Mr Charlesworth added.
He said his father was not going to let the government “beat him” and “that was his final hurrah.”
Mr Charlesworth left his family a short note in which he included some calculations regarding the farm’s finances.
The inquest heard that Mr Charlesworth had retired from the farm, which had been bought by his own father.
His son was responsible for the day-to-day running of the farm while Mr Charlesworth cared for his wife, who died in February this year.
At the inquest, Ms Rawden gave a verdict of suicide.
She said: "He was worried about implications of new regulations around inheritance tax that would see the family lose 50% of the farm, taking his life the day before the changes were due to be announced."
