WELL done again to Stephen Naysmith for his latest column ("Benefits revelation caused hardly a ripple", The Herald, May 22). He reports 87 per cent of mandatory reconsiderations are refused by Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) staff for those claimants already declined for the new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit, replacing disability living allowance.
I am one of the "lucky" 13 per cent who got through this gruelling process and got to the tribunal stage-but was still refused PIP, all this after my Disability Living Allowance (DLA) was suddenly stopped, despite supplying a large amount of medical evidence clearly stating my disabilities and concluding I could never work again – a number of years ago I was even awarded a lifetime DLA award due to my disabilities.
The respected social research charity the Rowntree Foundation reports a single person within this country needs a minimum of £17,000 per annum to live on, a figure disabled people like me can only dream about.
DWP give me £5,824 per annum for employment support allowance (ESA) I previously received £2,132 per annum with my DLA allowance (now gone); I now have £11,176 less than the Rowntree Foundation’s minimum recommendation.
Apparently Theresa May is committed "to building a stronger, fairer and more prosperous Britain for us all". Myself and thousands like me must have missed that memo.
Ken Gebbie,
121 Telford Road, Murray, East Kilbride.
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