MS sufferer (54) anger after failed assessment
A Perthshire woman with multiple sclerosis has slammed what she calls a“ridiculous”benefits system.
Elizabeth Matthews (54) from Blairgowrie, who was diagnosed with relapsing MS 20 years ago, has spoken out after the personal independence payment assessment failed her.
Elizabeth, who was disagnosed after losing the sight in her left eye and experiences difficulties with walking and chronic pain, said: “The whole experience left me with no confidence in the system or assessments - I wasn’t given the opportunity to represent myself fully.
“I wa asked maybe six or seven questions, over the phone, and that was that.
“There was no account taken of how MS can affect someone or how that can vary from day to day.
“For instance, I was asked how far I could walk.
“The real answer is that it depends on how my symptoms are affecting me on that day or what support I might have at the time but for personal independence payment it was basically ‘if you can walk that far, you’re not that bad’ and I lost my mobility support.
“The idea that I could be assessed without even meeting my assessor is just ridiculous.
“I even asked for a reassessment but, again, it was done over the phone and didn’t go into any more detail.”
For 15 years Elizabeth received the highest mobility payment under the disability living allowance, but after two short phone assessments for the new personal independence payment, she was reduced to only assistance within her home, meaning she lost her motability car.
Elizabeth continued: “The first decision happened just before Christmas and that had a huge financial impact.
“The fact of the matter was that for me to maintain my independence we needed a car which was obviously a big hit.
“We’re fortunate in that my husband was working so that we were able to get by but our savings were used up.
“The whole process is incredibly stressful and it’s impacted my symptoms, my walking has got worse, but I’m put off appealing as I could lose what support I do get and I have no faith in the system.”
Currently, more than 15,000 people live with MS in Scotland, but nearly one in six are set to lose out on personal independence payment because of a rule which says people who can walk one step over 20 metres do not need the highest rate of mobility component.
As a result, thousands are being stripped of their motability cars.
Morna Simpkins, director of MS Society Scotland, said: “We’ve long known about the enormous harm caused when personal independence payment takes vital support away from people with MS.
“Not only does the process lack respect for people and their lives but arbitrary and nonsensical conditions like the 20-metre rule can deprive people of vital support.
“We welcome commitments by the Scottish Government to reform the assessment system when it becomes devolved but it is essential that the 20-metre rule is scrapped to ensure that people with MS get the support they need.
“MS can be painful and exhausting, it shouldn’t be made harder by a welfare system that doesn’t make sense.”