DOES JOHN (56) LOOK FIT TO WORK TO YOU?
HE struggles to walk up a flight of stairs and is barely able to use his hands – yet the Government thinks John Williams should be going out to work.
The Spalding 56-year-old suffers from rheumatoid arthiritis and osteoporosis and has a doctor’s note to sign him off from work – but tough new tests carried out by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) found that Mr Williams is fit for work.
That will mean his £65 per week support allowance, which he spends on food and other essentials, and the £19 per week carer’s allowance that Bill and Carol Carline get for looking after him at their Roman Bank home will both be stopped.
Tests to reassess the health of claimants were introduced to target benefit cheats but Mr Williams cannot believe they found him to be well enough to get a job.
He was previously a painter and decorator but is now unable to climb his ladders or grip a paint brush.
He said: “My fingers are all bent and I can’t hold anything or hardly walk anywhere.
“A ten-minute walk takes me at least half an hour. How can I be fit for work? I am actually disabled and I shouldn’t have to argue for this.
“I don’t know where to go – it is getting ridiculous. They’re treating me me like I shouldn’t exist.
“It is not my fault – I would love to go out there and start all over again.
“There are people out there who are claiming no end of money and yet they say this to people like me, it is completely doolally.”
Mr Williams’ condition means that he also suffers from poor circulation and has to sit under a blanket, even in summer months, because he often feels cold.
Mr Williams said that the department has not provided a suggestion for what job they think he could manage to do.
Adrian Fletcher, who owns the property that Mr Williams lodges in, said: “It is absolutely disgusting, I just can’t believe it.
“It is so obvious that he is unable to work and no-one is ever going to employ him.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “When assessing whether a customer is fit for work, a Work Capability Assessment is carried out.
“This takes into account information provided by the customer on how their incapacity affects their daily life; additional information from their GP may also be obtained if necessary.
“Mr Williams has been provided with a copy of the medical report taken into consideration when making our decision and has also been advised of the steps to take should he wish to appeal.”
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Weather for Spalding
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
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