My kidneys are failing, I’ve had two strokes and I have colitis...yet I’m deemed fit for work
A FORMER scientist who has to undergo 12 hours of dialysis treatment a week because his kidneys are failing has been told he is fit to work.
Philip Williams, 56, from Caernarfon has been plagued by health problems in recent years including kidney failure, loss of hearing and ulcerative colitis - which brings on bouts of extreme diarrhoea and vomiting.
He received a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) last Monday saying his Disability Living Allowance will be stopped next month after a recent medical assessment deemed him ineli- gible for benefits.
A nurse visited Mr Williams around six weeks ago to carry out an assessment using a points system to determine whether or not he is able to cope around the house alone.
But Mr Williams now feels that the nurse was “unqualified to carry out the assessment” due to her lack of experience in his particular illness.
Mr Williams said he feels “disgusted” by their decision and claims that DWP made no attempt to contact his GP or renal consultant about his illnesses.
He said: “I was so shocked when I read the letter, it floored me, I just thought what a load of rubbish.
“I don’t know how they can make this decision without even speaking to my doctor. It’s made me so angry.
“Something like this can make someone want to give up on their treatment all together, and without treatment people die.
“But that’s how I felt when I read this letter. I really considered stopping my dialysis because I have no life anyway.”
Mr Williams, who worked as a scientist at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology for nine years, was born with Alports Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which causes kidney disease, hearing loss and can also affect the eyes.
He has also had two strokes in the last three years as well as a heart attack in 2009.
Mr Williams underwent a transplant in 1993 after his brother donated his kidney to him.
However, his kidney began to fail again in 2008 and his health deteriorated drastically, forcing him to give up work.
He now has to travel to Ysbyty Alltwen in Tremadog three times a week for dialysis treatment.
Mr Williams said: “My immune system is so low that there’s no way I would survive another kidney transplant.
“My life revolves around the treatment and having easy access to a toilet because of my colitis. Who’d want to employ me?
“It’s a debilitating disease. I don’t live, I just exist, every day is just about coping.
“This is my life and they want to take away the money that I rely on to survive.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “PIP assessments require specialist skills which is why they are undertaken by qualified health professionals.
“Decisions on eligibility for PIP are made after consideration of all the evidence, including an assessment and information provided by the claimant and their GP.
“All claimants have the opportunity to appeal and if their situation changes, they can ask to be reassessed.”
DWP have advised Mr Williams to get in touch with them if he is unsatisfied with their decision.