Ex-scientist on dialysis wins U-turn on cut in benefits
A FORMER scientist who had his disability benefits stopped, despite undergoing 12 hours of dialysis treatment a week, has had his payments reinstated.
Philip Williams, who has kidney failure, loss of hearing and ulcerative colitis, had to sell artwork and rely on his pensioner mother to support him when his Disability Living Allowance payments were axed on September 13.
The decision to stop them followed an assessment carried out by a nurse using a points scoring system, which examined whether or not he is able to cope around the house alone.
Mr Williams, from Caernarfon, challenged it and now after receiving “fresh evidence to support a review of his claim”, the Department of Work and Pensions has made a U-turn – and upped his payments by more than £30 a week.
The 56-year-old said: “I had a phone call on Monday telling me that my DLA payments were being reinstated and I would be backdated what I missed out on, but there was no apology.
“It’s been a very difficult and stressful couple of months as I’ve not been receiving payments so I’ve had to rely heavily on my mother who’s in her eighties.
“I’ve had to cut down dramatically on everything except for food and heat, and I had to sell two paintings to a local antique shop just to make ends meet.
“I’ve now received a letter of confirmation but there’s no acknowledgement that they made a mistake.”
Mr Williams, a former scientist at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in Bangor, was born with Alports Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which causes kidney disease, hearing loss and can also affect the eyes.
He underwent a transplant in 1993 after his brother donated his kidney to him, but it began to fail again in 2008 and his health deteriorated drastically, forcing him to give up work and meaning he now has to undergo 12 hours of dialysis treatment a week.
He has also had two strokes in the last three years as well as a heart attack in 2009.
Mr Williams added: “I’ve been overwhelmed with support since they made the unfair decision to stop my benefits, it’s been very heartwarming.
“I just feel like a weight has been lifted after being stuck in limbo for weeks.
“I don’t think I realised the stress I was under until now.”
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman insisted “all procedures have been followed correctly”.
He said: “We reinstated payments after Mr Williams provided fresh evidence to support a review of his claim for Personal independence Payments.”