Shropshire army veteran to fight 'inhumane' review after losing Motability
Dean Tolhurst served in the army in the 1980s as a driver in the Royal Corps of Transport.He has had a Motability car for six years, after breaking his back, having three strokes, two hernias, knee reconstructions, and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Mr Tolhurst said he is unable to afford his own vehicle, and so relied on his mobility payments. "I can't used public transport because of my PTSD," he said, adding that he only allows trusted friends to drive him to doctors' appointments and the supermarket.
"They've given me one week's notice [before] I lose the vehicle," he said, adding that it has left him "four miles from my nearest cheap supermarket.""They're isolating me - they're taking me away from my daily needs."Mr Tolhurst has been awarded the standard rate for mobility, but to be eligible for the Motability scheme, claimants need to receive the enhanced rate.
Pip is paid to 3.7 million people with a long-term physical or mental health condition in England and Wales.It includes a daily living component and a mobility component, and claimants may be eligible for one or both.In March, the government announced plans to tighten daily living assessments for both current and future claimants.But after more than 120 Labour MPs threatened to vote against the change, it confirmed that those already receiving Pip would not be affected.
To receive Pip, people are asked questions about everyday tasks, with each scored from zero, for no difficulty, to 12, for most difficulty.Mr Tolhurst said his most recent reassessment by Capita, who carry out Pip assessments on behalf of the DWP in the Midlands and Wales, did not properly take his mobility issues into account.This resulted in him not receiving an extra mobility payment that would allow him to lease a Motability car.
The review was carried out via video call, which the grandfather believes is not appropriate."The video call got to 59 minutes and they said they weren't going to do the mobility part of the exam because they ran out of time," he said.Mr Tolhurst said that he later found out he "failed" the review because he didn't score highly enough in the mobility section."I don't understand how they can fail me for something they didn't do," he said.
The 56-year-old grandfather said he is now "doubling" his doses of prescription painkillers - against his doctor's advice - in order to live his life as normal. "Not all disabilities are physical or visible - the government needs to learn that you can't judge a book by its cover," he said."Not everything that is wrong than me you can see, but what you can see is a person that will not give up."I will not stop fighting."
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said they are "changing the welfare system so it helps people to live with dignity."They added that they "have also announced a ministerial review of the PIP assessment process – which puts disabled people at its heart - to make sure it is fit and fair for the future."Capita said they do not comment on individual cases, and confirmed that the company does not make the decision to award Pip payments.
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