MPs shouted “how do you sleep at night?” at Tory ministers after hearing a terminally-ill man is set to lose his mobility car.
Labour’s Clive Efford raised the cancer sufferer’s heartbreaking case today in the House of Commons as he begged ministers to “stop this injustice”.
He said the constituent in Eltham, south London, was left so “short of money” he was unable to attend most daily appointments – and risked infection on public transport.
The man failed in an appeal against cuts to his Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The benefit is worth up to £148.85 a week to help with costs of disability.
Crucially it helps pay for specially-adapted vehicles that are mostly provided through an organisation called Motability.
But more than 75,000 people have had their cars taken away after losing out when they moved to PIP.
In many cases, people were forced to give up their adapted cars even though an appeal was still in process.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Efford said: “In July 2016 my constituent was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer.
“It was treated with two lines of chemotherapy and initially he responded well.
“But [he] had recurrent infections which required antibiotics.
“He went into remission in 2018 and his PIP was stopped in December 2018.
“He appealed the decision – despite the fact that he was receiving treatment, his appeal was refused.
“In February he was told his cancer had relapsed. It’s incurable.
“He’s now being told his mobility car will be repossessed this week.
“Removing his PIP will leave him short of money, unable to get to most of his daily appointments and at risk of infection when travelling on public transport.
(Image: Parliament TV)
“Can I appeal to everybody on those benches over there – show some compassion, someone intervene and stop this injustice.”
Paula Sherriff, Labour MP for Dewsbury, could be heard shouting: “How do you sleep at night?”
Cabinet Office minister David Lidington answered the question because he was standing in for Theresa May .
He said he would ask Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd to ensure a minister speaks to Mr Efford “urgently to get to the bottom of what has happened”.
The DWP was understood to be looking into the case this afternoon. The man was not named in the Commons.
