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A man with epilepsy says he has had to fight the Government multiple times for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) amid growing calls for improved access to disability benefits.
Murray Golder, from West Sussex, slammed the “brutal” assessment system which has seen the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) cut his benefits twice since 2018.
The 44-year-old, who is currently on PIP again, said he fears the process will become even worse as the Conservatives seek to overhaul benefits to reduce a “skyrocketing” rise in costs.
Charity Epilepsy Action He warned the plans would “only make it even harder” for people with the disease to access support.
If elected, Labour is likely to wait to decide on the Conservative PIP proposals until after the general election. I I understand.
Golder suffers from a form of epilepsy that causes petit mal seizures, leaving him unconscious for short periods and unaware of what is happening.
Specialists monitoring his condition through the implant said they found he was having around 25 seizures a month and was at risk of self-harming if he carried out basic tasks alone.
However, in April last year, Ms Golder’s daily living benefits were withdrawn by the DWP following a reassessment of her condition.
At the end of the last PIP assessment process, he was given nine points for daily living needs, just above the eight points needed for payment, but last year he was given just zero points.
“I got a letter from the neurologist saying, ‘He’s never going to get better,’ so I don’t understand how they could have deducted points,” he said. I.
To determine the amount of benefits to be paid, PIP assessors award points based on observing how the condition affects a claimant’s ability to perform certain tasks.
Golder suffers from severe memory loss and relies on his wife to prepare meals and manage his medication.
She also watches him take a shower after he falls and injures himself during a seizure.
He works for Royal Mail and is too ill to drive so has to take a taxi to get to work.
” [DWP] “The report said, ‘There are no physical limitations,'” he says. “I disputed that and said it had nothing to do with a neurological condition, and that it was just not safe for him to do things because he had seizures and memory problems.”
Mr Golder said the PIP decision in April 2023 meant the couple were being squeezed financially as they would lose the basic living allowance of £247 they were receiving every four weeks.
He estimates he has lost more than £3,500 in the past 14 months.
He said he and his wife had to use their own money to pay for his pain medication, additional life insurance and home renovations and furnishings. The couple stopped taking vacations and attending events of any kind.
“Life has become even harder. I’ve started paying my own way,” he added.
He decided to take his case to the Tribunal last year, challenging the DWP’s decision, and after a year of battling the Government, he won his case last week and was told the basic daily living part of PIP would be reinstated – now at an increased rate of £72.65 a week, or £290 every four weeks.
“Throughout the whole process of fighting this decision, my stress levels skyrocketed,” he said.
“It’s a cruel system. They set you up to fail certain questions, proving how harsh the system is. I hate to think that some people are so scared they can’t appeal because they’re made to feel like a liar.”
For Golder, the fight for benefits is history repeating itself. In February 2018, his PIP application was denied and his story IA year later, he won the payment and successfully challenged it in court.
“first time [in 2018] “My assessor said that I walked well. The report said that I was well dressed. I cannot understand how you can judge someone’s disability based on their clothing,” he said.
“They over-assess physical ability. They’re not flexible enough to take into account neurological conditions. They’re assessed by people who don’t understand you or your condition.”
Golder is sceptical of Conservative plans to replace PIP with a new six-tiered benefit system that would mean many recipients would receive less than they currently receive, and there are also proposals to replace some PIP payments with vouchers or lump sums.
“I think this is a cost-cutting measure, and I’m concerned because I don’t think it’s going to have the results they say it will,” he said, “but the current system isn’t working either, so it’s worth the next administration considering evaluating.” [process]. “
He urged Labour to consider reforms made in Scotland, where disability benefits are increasingly reliant on specialist medical advice, calling it a “great idea”.
Daniel Jennings, senior policy officer at Epilepsy Action, said the current system in England and Wales was “repeatedly failing people with epilepsy”.
He said the standard ignores the challenges faced by people with epilepsy, “such as side effects from epilepsy medications and injuries resulting from seizures.”
He added: “The recent announcement about further crackdowns on disability benefits, particularly the possible implementation of proposed thresholds, will only make it even more difficult for people with epilepsy to access PIP. We strongly oppose the proposed changes and urge people with epilepsy to make their voices heard.”
After a summary of Mr Golder’s background was submitted to the DWP, a spokesman said: ” I They did not provide the details or enough time required to address this issue.”