Bradford pensioner goes on hunger strike in protest at DWP payment demand |Telegraph and Argus

Last Updated: October 14, 2015By

PENSIONER Karl Dallas has gone on hunger strike after receiving a demand for more than £5,500 from the Department of Work and Pensions.

The 84-year-old, from Church Green, Manningham, sat outside the DWP offices at Westfield House in Manningham Lane today armed with a placard to raise public awareness of his plight.

Mr Dallas said he was at the end of his tether trying to get the DWP to explain why it believed it had overpaid his pension credits since 2008.

“Nothing has changed since then. If they think there is something different then they need to tell me what it is because I don’t have a clue. Everything has stayed the same, there has been no change of circumstances I should have told them about. I don’t have all that money to hand over and even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to them until they can explain it to me and justify it. It’s just nonsense.”

He added: “There has been no change in my circumstances since I retired from full-time freelance journalism in 1998. I have declared all my royalty and other incomes to the Inland Revenue but they have advised me that because the sums are fairly small, I do not need to submit an annual return.”

The singer-songwriter, who is a retired freelance journalist and a well-known campaigner for peace and justice, said hunger strike was the only option left to him and despite bad health he would keep it up until he got answers.

Anyone wanting to support Mr Dallas should get in touch with him at wp.me/p38aoy-1eT

Source: Bradford pensioner goes on hunger strike in protest at DWP payment demand (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

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6 Comments

  1. hugosmum70 October 14, 2015 at 12:40 pm - Reply

    why has he not been to CAB/unemployed workers or a law centre for help with this?

  2. mohandeer October 14, 2015 at 12:47 pm - Reply

    Thanks for this, I doubt he will get too much “coverage” without the help of a blog like this. It’s hard to believe they can do this to an 84 year old man, but then, it isn’t(hard to believe) any more. What a disgrace these politicians are.

  3. wildswimmerpete October 14, 2015 at 2:46 pm - Reply

    The alleged “overpayment” occurred 2008, seven years ago. Surely attempts to enforce this “debt” are now statute barred?

  4. James Kemp (@Belthrud) October 14, 2015 at 5:47 pm - Reply

    With the DWP there is a clause in there that states they can claw back any time a discrepancy is found. Found out the hard way myself from 2005; just finished paying it back. They do NOT explain or discuss – all the robots that work in the collections department will demand a figure every time your paid and there is no way of reducing or changing it, no matter the hardship caused. I have great concern for the gentleman concerned because it won’t work with them. They will do nothing, I bet….

  5. hugosmum70 October 15, 2015 at 12:57 pm - Reply

    as with everything else. what are rules n regs for us are not when it comes to govt departments.but let them owe YOU money and you have to wait months for it.

  6. mrmarcpc October 15, 2015 at 3:08 pm - Reply

    IDS and Patel will gladly let him die before doing anything about it, they’ll be counting the days off until he croaks, admire his backbone but he has no chance of winning, unless he had powerful support from the press and/or celebrities otherwise they will take great glee in watching him fail and die!

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