Man with emphysema has benefits slashed in half by DWP
Widower, 47, given just two years to live due to deadly lung condition has his benefits slashed in half after DWP officials deem him ‘FIT FOR WORK’
- Darryl Nicholson, 47, suffers from emphysema and was given two years to live
- He was deemed ‘fit for work’ after a work capability assessment by the DWP
- He said: ‘I can hold a pen, open a door, use technology, they think I am fit’
- Mr Nicholson’s monthly allowance of £474 a month has been cut down to £236
- He said the cut means: ‘I can’t take medication because I can’t afford to eat’
A man struggling with a severe lung condition and given just two years to live by doctors has been deemed fit to work and has had his benefits slashed.
Darryl Nicholson, 47, who is living with stage three emphysema has been presumed ‘fit to work’ by the Department for Work and Pensions after attending a mandatory work capability assessment.
Mr Nicholson, from Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne, said: ‘I failed even though my condition has worsened. But because I can hold a pen, open a door and use technology, they think I am fit for work.’
The widower, who lost his wife to cancer when she was 36, previously received Employment Support Allowance of £474 a month directly into his bank account.
Darryl Nicholson, 47, who is living with stage three emphysema has been presumed ‘fit to work’ by the Department for Work and Pensions. He said: ‘Because I can hold a pen, open a door and use technology, they think I am fit for work’
But after being put on Universal Credit, his money has been halved to just £236 per month, which he has said means: ‘I can’t take medication because I can’t afford to eat.’
The payment he receives just covers his expenses including £48 phone bill, £60 per month for electric, and £10.37 for gas, and around £15 per week for food.
‘I’m not expecting to go on holiday or buy a car. I’m just expecting to be able to live. Sometimes I only have one meal a day, and there are days where I go with no food.
‘This has a knock on affect and means that I can’t take all of my medications because you have to take food with them. I’ve lost half a stone.
‘A downside of my illness is that my immune system is weak and it will only weaken.
He underwent a mandatory reconsideration which was rejected and is now awaiting a tribunal.
‘I should be focusing on life instead of this. I have spoken to people about work, but I don’t know what I could do to be honest. I am stage three and would have more sick days than working days,’ he said.
Mr Nicholson applied for two more benefits – the illness and disability enhancements on Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment – and has called the process humiliating.
Mr Nicholson previously received Employment Support Allowance of £474 a month but has had his money slashed to just £236 per month, which he has said means: ‘I can’t take medication because I can’t afford to eat’
‘I know I am going to die young. I was young when I got diagnosed, now I’m 47, and have been told I could live until I’m 50.
‘Someone who does not understand this condition made this decision, with someone with even less understanding making a final decision.’
Mr Nicholson said the mandatory reconsideration process needs overhauling and the tribunal service needs to clear its back log, starting fresh.
‘I’m wanting to share this not just for me, but for the thousands of other people who are also affected. It is atrocious and is like going back to the Second World War. It is like a slow genocide.’
A DWP spokesman said: ‘Decisions for ESA are made by medical professionals following consideration of all the information provided by the claimant, including evidence from their GP or medical specialist.
‘There is a free and independent appeals process where claimants can provide any further documentation.
‘Mr Nicholson continues to receive benefits and support during his appeal and is not required to seek work.’
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