Dying man told ‘get a job’ as DWP denies him any benefits
A terminally-ill man undergoing exhausting treatment for a brain tumour has been told to get a job by a heartless Department for Work and Pensions, as it refused to put him on Universal Credit.
Michael McLalland, 60, was diagnosed with a tumour on the right side of his brain while on holiday in Canada in July.
Despite being told he had only nine months to live and undergoing radiotherapy every day, bureaucrats at the DWP told the former taxi driver he did not qualify for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance.
He had to give up work because his medical condition means he cannot drive. And he has been told he cannot claim his pension either, according to the Daily Record.
Now he has to deal with a constant barrage of letters from the government department, many of which are written in language so opaque it is impossible to understand.
And all this is on top of the fact that Mr Mclelland is the father of Paisley murder victim Craig McLelland, who was stabbed to death in 2017, and has spent two years seeking justice for his son.
He seems to think he’ll get Personal Independence Payments but I have doubts about that.
There is a system by which people with terminal illnesses receive the benefit if they are expected to die within six months but the DWP also has a history of denying this to people in need.
The DWP would say it is only following orders – in the same way that World War II German soldiers said they were only following orders.
I tend to agree with ‘Robin Red’, below, who was writing about the death of another DWP victim:
https://twitter.com/reddm11/status/1182442803416178688
He’s right but our Tory government is too busy to pay any attention.
It is hard at work pursuing its modernised ‘Aktion T4’ policy to kill the sick and disabled.
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On it rolls aktion T4 yet another poor soul who being deniad benefits it’s beyond belief but it’s happening to far too many
The Labour Party should make it absolutely clear in its General Election manifesto that all ministers and senior civil servants will be charged with Corporate Manslaughter when they return to Government.
This country’s gone i feel sorry for thise poorly people who have paid into the system i my self i am disabled having strokes got copd lung disease i had a nedical in sept i am awaiting a desision on my claim which i might tell them to shove it its disgusting and yet people who take drugs and booze get everything
No they DON’T… THAT IS UR BRAINWASHED BY STIGMA thought process talking it’s programmed bullshit!
I have no sympathy whatsoever for the DWP as they’ve screwed my very ill brother around something rotten or, to be more precise, the DWP’s minions ATOS have.
But despite my loathing for the DWP and their side-kicks I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate here. I strongly suspect that Mr McLalland would not have been able to claim ESA even before UC existed, because of the following:
As a taxi driver I’m 99% certain that he was self-employed as nearly all taxi drivers are. Therefore he would’ve paid Class 2 NIC, plus Class 4 NIC on his profits over a certain amount.
Provided he had two full tax years’ worth of Class 2 NIC’s before he claimed ESA (this year’s NIC’s from April 6th onwards don’t count) then he could claim Contribution-based ESA (or it’s UC equivalent) for the next 12 mths without his partner’s wages being taken into consideration.
I suspect that he didn’t have enough Class 2 NIC’s to qualify, and he had to apply for the means tested ‘Income-based’ ESA which would take his partner’s wages into account. Even if she worked just 15 hours a week at NMW (£123.15 per wk) then they’d be over the limit for a couple’s UC allowance of £115.13p per week. But if they pay rent & CT then they should have been granted most of that depending on how many hours she worked and at what rate of pay. If they did not qualify for any UC at all, then I further suspect she’s working up to 24 hours at a higher rate than the NMW.
A great many people get caught out by the NIC bit, especially the self-employed. I have myself in the past which is why I know about it! Incidentally, even if you have 20 years worth of Class 2 NIC’s you can’t claim JSA at all, only Income-based JSA or it’s UC equivalent.
If all my assumptions above are correct, then in this particular instance the DWP were correct and not just following orders as these rules have always existed since the year dot.
I also suspect the DWP lady wasn’t necessarily being facetious when she told him the only thing to do is get a job. She could well have said it despairingly, knowing there was nothing else she could say… maybe, perhaps, possibly? Or am I being too generous spirited here?
Either way, given that I also suspect the DWP are going to fast-track his PIP claim in double quick time (nothing like adverse publicity to get ‘em moving despite the DWP’s protestations of innocence) he should get the highest rate of the Care Component of PIP (about £86 per wk) and also the highest rate of the Mobility Component (about £63 per wk.) If he can’t drive any more then he’ll need to get taxis/whatever for his appointments, etc.
I wish Mr McLalland and his partner all the best, and will keep my fingers crossed for them at this most god awful of times they’re going through.
My try treating as well. I am emigrant, and hard working in care home. Shame
Bro get some cannabis oil !!!b
Money Advice Centre – ILL HEALTH EARLY RETIREMENT FROM AGE 55
To help you work out your income if you retired early, follow these 3 steps:
– Find out from your pension scheme provider what their rules are and whether you can take the pension early because of ill health.
– Ask your employer or pension provider how much your pension is worth.
– If you’ve been saving into a defined contribution scheme (where you pay into a pension pot which is converted into an income at retirement) then you need to see how much income your pension pot can buy. Because you have ill health, you can probably get an increased income known as an enhanced annuity.
“I wuz just following orders” the Nuremberg Defence. Didn’t work then and it won’t work now.
This has to stop why are dwp getting away with this we have to stand up to these heartless people who treat individules so vile and without understanding any one out there mps lawyers cab please get a pettition going get this barbaric situstion for people to Stop millions will back you this has gone on for to long Shame on DWP your a disgrace
There’s a song about the DWP Work Capability Assessments on the music website Bandcamp. The song is called Pauper’s Funeral and is by Your Heterosexual Violence. All proceeds from downloading the track on a pay what you want or can afford basis goes directly to Black Triangle who are a disability rights campaign group who do some really important work, particularly in campaigning against the WCA’s but they are totally unfunded at the moment. So any contribution is greatly appreciated. Just go on to the Bandcamp site and type the band name into the search box and look out for a picture of a white lily.