Man wins appeal against removal of sickness benefits – months after his death
The DWP says it is “irresponsible to suggest a causal link between the death of an individual and their benefit claim”, and “mortality rates among people with serious health conditions are likely to be higher than those among the general population”.
That’s all very well, but at the time of Mr Shawcross’s death, the DWP was saying that he was perfectly fit and healthy, and should be looking for work.
And is the Department seriously trying to tell a grieving widow that she is being “irresponsible” by drawing a logical conclusion from the events that led to her husband’s death?
It would be useful for all of us to hear that conversation!
A widow was horrified when a letter arrived for her late husband saying he had won his appeal against his sickness benefits being axed.
Graham Shawcross, 63, had potentially fatal Addison’s disease, but was ruled fit to work last November and had his £400-a-month incapacity benefit halted.
He died of a heart attack in February this year.
Yvonne, his wife of 23 years, claims the stress of losing his benefits, and of launching an appeal against the decision, caused his death.
Source: Man who had sickness benefits axed wins appeal – months after he died – Mirror Online
Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
If you have enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Yet another soul lost causing grief for those left behind how in all thats holy can this lot get away with the cull of sick disabled mentaly ill unemployed peoples how when they the elected get yo abuse their people then why isnt jr
The oilman preacher not doing more to save his flock yet these mps talk talk talk about it nowing full well whots going on isnt there any honest mps left to realy show up this government has greedie criminals jeff3
This tragic and disgraceful event only goes to emphasise how unfit for its purpose the DWP is. We really all should protest in far greater strength and unity against the unjust and dangerous decisions being made by this DWP which should be reorganised without delay. As I have stated on so many previous occasions the only person fit and capable of assessing a claimant’s health is their GP and not IDS or his phoney department.
Benefit being reinstated posthumously is far more common than people realise.
https://www.change.org/p/westminster-government-david-cameron-mp-call-for-resignation-of-iain-duncan-smith-vote-of-no-confidence?recruiter=13187600&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-reason_msg&fb_ref=Defaulthttps://www.change.org/p/westminster-government-david-cameron-mp-call-for-resignation-of-iain-duncan-smith-vote-of-no-confidence?recruiter=13187600&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-reason_msg&fb_ref=Default
This yet again is an indictment of the DWP & the government’s policy into the disabled of this country. Again a person has lost their life through the uncaring attitude of the policy makers! My sincere condolences to Mr Shawcross’s family.
It shows how evil these people are when they dare to suggest that it is not reasonable to consider that the stress of such a situation could lead to someone’s death. It defies logic and shows a complete disregard for the lives of ordinary people.
The DWP says it is “irresponsible to suggest a causal link between the death of an individual and their benefit claim”, and “mortality rates among people with serious health conditions are likely to be higher than those among the general population”.
The words that scream at me are “serious health conditions”.
So the DWP knew claimants had “serious health conditions, but still hounded them, and made their lives completely stressful till the end.
absolutely bloody shameful.
What kind of monsters run this country!!!!!!
No – the DWP says they don’t have “serious health conditions” – until after they have died. Then the DWP admits it.
If I was his widow I would scream this from the rooftops – causal link, irresponsible-! Really!! They might like to think who was irresponsible about cutting a persons incapacity benfit with a serious health condition. What were the risks with this health condition, were these considered? Show the risk analysis, Show there was no link.
Are the families of these people making a claim for damages against the DWP?
Has got to be worth a go I should think.
If this one is true, it’s disgusting.
I don’t mind quite a long walk myself, maybe 2 miles each way on a hot day, but 10 miles in this weather would just be a suicide mission.
“This left her on the hottest day of the year with a 10 mile stroll home with no fluids or food en-route.”
https://welfaretales.wordpress.com/2015/07/02/coeliac-and-diabetic-woman-denied-any-money-for-weeks-told-she-has-no-evidence-of-hardship/