I took husband’s ashes to court after he died in benefit fight
Victory for proud Albert
“I felt a bit sorry for them, the guy from the DWP looked horrified, but it was his department that made the decision.”
The panel upheld the appeal for Personal Independence Payments, awarding Albert the higher weekly rate for both daily living (£ 87.65) and mobility (£61.20). The cash will be backdated from April last year until November 19 when he died.
But the whole sorry saga came after months of pain and humiliation for Albert, who had to quit his job of 41 years.
He had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affecting his lungs, type 2 diabetes, a heart condition and carpal tunnel syndrome, causing pain in his hands. Albert died from a cardiac arrest at home in Moston, Gtr Manchester, last November.
His hearing at Manchester Justice Centre last Tuesday heard he struggled to walk without getting out of breath and was once stranded in a bath for four hours.
Albert, a father of four and grandad of 15, finished work as a locomotive cleaner in December 2017.
But after one meeting officials ruled that “at no point was he breathless” and “he could stand up without help”.
Ann was furious. She said: “He was so upset. He kept saying, ‘ They’re calling me a liar’. He paid in all his life and he’d never claimed a penny. And when he did claim, he received nothing. He was a good, hardworking, honest man and he couldn’t believe the way he was treated.
“When he finished it broke him. If he could have worked he would have. He
walked like an old man. It was soul-destroying.” Figures show a record 60,000 people won appeals against the DWP’s disability benefit tests in 2018 – some 72 per cent of all tribunals. The cost to the taxpayer for these hearings was £26.5million. Ann demanded changes to the assessment system, adding: “They’ve created this atmosphere saying people are scrounging, but that’s not true. They are targeting the most needy, it’s cruel.”
She also told of mixed emotions as daughter Joanne, 37, walked down the aisle last weekend. Ann said: “Joanne wanted to cancel, but her dad wouldn’t have wanted that.”
It is understood the DWP wrote to Ann to apologise. A spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with Mr Dale’s family and we are sorry for the distress caused.”