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40pWednesday, January 9, 2013
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w w w. t h i s i s s t a f f o r d s h i r e . c o . u k
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‘YOU CAN’T APPEAL– THIS LETTER SAYSYO U ’RE DEAD’Ex-wife of partially-sighted benefitclaimant told he is now ‘deceased’
PLAN YOUR NEXT CAREER MOVE: HUNDREDS OF ROLES INSIDE TODAYNEW YEAR, NEW
BY ALEX [email protected]
DISABLED Tim Green hasbeen declared fit enough towork by the Government – aweek after officials said hewas dead.
Civil servants wrote to the5 8 - ye a r- o l d ’s relatives to say hewould no longer have to attendan appeal against a decision totake away his benefits becausehe ‘had died’.
The letter was sent to Tim’sshocked ex-wife Jane, whohelps him fill out paperworkbecause he is partially blind.
Tim, of Rowley Avenue,Chesterton, said: “My familywere worried sick. They knewI had been feeling unwell –and then my ex-wife receiveda letter saying I was dead.
“She was straight on thephone to my mother.
“I couldn’t believe it when Iheard what was in the letter –I’m certainly not dead.”
He added: “I haven’t beenable to work since a piece of
metal went through my eyewhen I was bricklaying in2004.”
The father-of-one – who alsosuffers with hip, leg andshoulder problems – has beentold he is fit enough to seekwork and faces losing £40-a-week employment supportallowance benefit. He appealedagainst the Department forWork and Pensions’ decision.
Her Majesty’s Courts andTribunals Service (HMCTS),which was due to decide onhis appeal, announced hisdeath in a letter. The letterstated: “The appeal wasdelayed as the appellant haddied. I have now abated theappeal, which will not go for-ward to a tribunal hearing.”
But a week later the serviceruled Tim is in fact alive andwell enough to seek employ-ment.
Self-employed accountantJane, aged 55, of Madeley, said:“It was pretty horrible toreceive the letter. We can laughabout it now but when ithappened I started shakingand wondering how I’d tell ourd a u g h t e r.”
HMCTS officials have nowissued a formal apology,adding: “This letter was sentin error. We are taking stepsto ensure that proper proced-ures are followed in future.”
Are you challenging a DWPruling? Email us at [email protected]
SHOCK: The letter sent to Tim Green’s ex-wife Jane.
Benefits risecapped at 1%THOUSANDS of working ageresidents across Stoke-on-Trent will see benefitincreases capped at one percent for three years.
The Government won itscrucial vote on the proposalsby 328 to 262 after five hoursof heated debate inPa rl i a m e n t .
A handful of Lib Demsre b e l l e d .
Labour claims millions oflow-income working familieswill be hit hardest by the cap,but ministers say benefitsshould not be rising fasterthan wages. Public sector payrises have already beencapped at one per cent.
Benefits historically rise inline with inflation and, beforethe vote, were due to go up by2.2 per cent in April.
Affected handouts include:j o b s e e ke r ’s allowance,employment supportallowance, income support,housing benefit, maternityallowance, patenity pay,adoption pay, sick pay, childtax credit and elements ofworking tax credit.
Rob Flello, Labour MP forStoke-on-Trent South, said:“The reality is that workingpeople will be hit hardest bythis. It is an attack on theworking poor.”
DISBELIEF: TimGreen. Picture:Malcolm Hart
16 to18? Join our new Traineeship programmeYou get: £20 per week* | Free travel | Free breakfast | Fast track to an Apprenticeship
*£20 a week during the work placement part of the course.traineeship2013Visit www.stokecollege.ac.uk/newyear or call 01782 208208 now to sign up.