Six stone man who’s barely able to walk denied benefits and told to go find work

A man has told how he was denied crucial benefits and told to look for a job despite severe health problems that left him looking like he is wasting away at just six stone.

Stephen Smith is so thin in these images taken during a hospital stay over Christmas that his bones are visible through his skin.

The 64-year-old, from Liverpool, said he isn’t healthy enough to work and he can barely walk on his own due to a number of serious conditions.

He was forced to get a pass out from hospital so he could fight a Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decision declaring him fit and capable of finding work, and denying him benefits, the Liverpool Echo reports.

Mr Smith won that appeal after a tribunal judge saw that he can barely walk down the street let alone hold down a job.

At the time, his weight had dropped to just six stone and he feared he would die as his health worsened.

Repeated calls to grant Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Mr Smith were denied even though doctors had written stating that he couldn’t walk 20 metres (65ft) without collapsing in pain and exhaustion.

The DWP claims he has "continued to receive all of the benefits he was entitled to", but a man who campaigned on his behalf believes he is owed £4,000 in back pay.

Mr Smith suffers from debilitating and incurable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which causes severe breathing difficulties that gradually get worse over time and limit normal activities.

He also has excruciating osteoarthritis and an enlarged prostate, and he uses a colostomy bag to go to the toilet.

Despite his health problems, Mr Smith failed a DWP work capability assessment in 2017 and his ESA payments were stopped.

He was told to sign on for a £67-a-week Jobseeker’s Allowance, visit the Job Centre once a week and prove he was looking for work.

Mr Smith said: "I could only make it to the kitchen to make food once a day.

"I had no muscles in the back of my leg which meant I couldn’t stand up at all – and had to lean or sit down all the time – but they were telling me I was fit for work."

Mr Smith believes his life was saved by two men – Tony Nelson and Terry Craven.

Mr Nelson runs the CASA community centre, which acts as an advice and resource centre for local residents, and introduced Mr Smith to Mr Craven, a former city council welfare officer who helps people at CASA with benefit claims.

When Mr Smith lost ESA, Mr Craven battled with the DWP to restore his benefits, and sent the opinions of two doctors who described the "significant difficulty" and pain Mr Smith suffers when he does simple movements and daily activities.

One doctor’s note stated: "It is my opinion that Mr Smith could not walk 20 metres without pain or exhaustion."

Despite the evidence, the DWP rejected Mr Smith’s appeal in January last year and told him that he didn’t meet the criteria for having "limited capability for work".

Mr Smith and Mr Craven continued to fight the DWP for months and were given a hearing at a tribunal earlier this month, one year on from the DWP’s decision.

By then, Mr Smith’s health had taken a turn for the worse as he struggled to look after himself.

Mr Craven said: "Around December time me and my wife went to check in on him and my wife said ‘if we don’t do something now, he’s not long for this world’."

Mr Smith was suffering from pneumonia and was taken to hospital, where he was pictured weighing just six stone.

After getting a pass allowing him to leave the hospital, Mr Smith attended the tribunal and won.

A judge stated he satisfied the requirement for ESA due to his limited mobility and health problems.

Mr Smith will be put back on ESA, and Mr Craven believes the 64-year-old is owed about £4,000 in back pay.

Mr Craven said: "I have got lots of cases like Steve’s – I have a client at the moment who is actually on dialysis and has been thrown off benefits."

Mr Smith said: "Without them [Mr Nelson and Mr Craven] and this place [CASA] I probably wouldn’t be here today – I had nowhere to turn- they have saved my life."

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the DWP claimed Mr Smith has "continued to receive all of the benefits he was entitled to, as well as offers of personal support to improve his skills and health issues".

She added: "He has now been reassessed, reflecting his changing condition and will be receiving full ESA support.

“We’re committed to ensuring that people with health conditions get the support they’re entitled to.

"Decisions for ESA are made following consideration of all the information provided by the claimant, including supporting evidence from their GP or medical specialist. Any claimant can appeal a decision for free to an independent tribunal.”

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