Latest news with #DeanTolhurst
BBC News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Shropshire veteran allowed to keep his car following Motability row
A veteran who was told his Motability vehicle would be taken away following a review has been told he can keep it and will have his circumstances Motability scheme allows people with a personal independence payment, or Pip, to lease a vehicle, but Dean Tolhurst, who lives in Bicton Heath, Shropshire, claimed a recent reassessment had not been done properly. Mr Tolhurst said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had now "reopened both of my mandatory reviews."A spokesperson for the DWP said it was "changing the welfare system so it helps people to live with dignity". Mr Tolhurst 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).He said he was unable to afford his own vehicle and relied on his mobility 56-year-old said knowing he will keep his car, a red Vauxhall Crossland, is "absolutely fantastic, [it allows me] to get up in the morning"."My car is my freedom," he added. Pip is paid to 3.7 million people with a long-term physical or mental health condition in England and includes a daily living component and a mobility component and claimants may be eligible for one or March, the government announced plans to tighten daily living assessments for both current and future 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 Tolhurst said his recent reassessment did not properly take his mobility issues into account, which resulted in him not receiving an extra mobility payment that would allow him to lease a Motability car. Mr Tolhurst, who served in the British Army in the 1980s as a driver in the Royal Corps of Transport, said he has also "got the backing" of Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley, who has written to the DWP. The 56-year-old said his "anxiety levels are not quite as high as they were", attributing it to the support of the added that he feels "a lot better knowing that people are backing me.""When I said the system was wrong, DWP didn't listen to me - but they've listened to BBC Radio Shropshire, and they will be listening to Julia Buckley," he said. Mr Tolhurst said anyone in his situation should "pick up the phone and ring your local radio station.""[The DWP has] done things wrong, and they need to turn around and go 'sorry we'll rectify it' - that's the only thing I can hope for." A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said they are "changing the welfare system so it helps people to live with dignity," adding that they have "announced a ministerial review of the PIP assessment process." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Shropshire army veteran to fight 'inhumane' review after losing Motability
A 56-year-old army veteran has said he will "fight" to keep his Motability car after a review concluded that he no longer qualifies for Motability scheme allows people with a personal independence payment, or Pip, to lease a Tolhurst, who lives in Bicton Heath, who has received his mobility payment for six years, claims that a recent reassessment was not done properly and said his treatment has been "inhumane."A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said they are "changing the welfare system so it helps people to live with dignity." Dean Tolhurst served in the army in the 1980s as a driver in the Royal Corps of 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 includes a daily living component and a mobility component, and claimants may be eligible for one or March, the government announced plans to tighten daily living assessments for both current and future 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 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 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 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. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
