Dying man left ‘totally broken’ after disability allowance is cut

Jason Henry, of Southcote, saw his disability living allowance get cut shortly after he was told that his condition is terminal

A terminally ill man from Southcote says he feels “totally broken” after the Government decided to slash the benefits which he depends on.

After eight years of suffering from an mysterious illness Jason Henry, of Granville Road, was diagnosed with Castleman’s lymphoma at Royal Berkshire Hospital in 2013.

He was then granted a disability living allowance by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help him retain his independence while undergoing aggressive chemotherapy.

But according to Jason, after months of intensive treatment he was told that his condition is terminal and on Wednesday, February 3 the DWP announced that his disability living allowance would be cut.

The 44-year-old, who is known as Jake by his friends, was then granted personal independence payments (PIP), but he sees these smaller payments as insufficient and insists he cannot remain independent or mobile.

He said: “I just feel totally broken, that money enabled me to get out of my flat, be mobile and be part of my community. Without it I am stuck inside and can’t see my friends or be part of society.

“It’s like taking someone’s legs away when you’re asking them to walk. It was devastating when they took it away, it compounded my whole situation.

“this isn’t only about me, there are other people out there in the same situation”

“They (DWP) have taken my allowance away because they are saying that I can do things which I can’t because of an Atos medical where I got interviewed by doctors who don’t even know me.

“They don’t know that after I have my chemotherapy I have to have my meals made, my tablets sorted and I need help getting around.”

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