Benefit bosses have sparked outrage by slashing payments for a young woman who is recovering from a double lung transplant operation.
Louise Davidson 20 from Paisley, Scotland, has had Cystic Fibrosis since birth, has been left in tears by the decision to chop her benefits from £130 per week to just £21 per week.
And to compound matters, the DWP are taking back her mobility motor.
This has happened just six months after her cruelling transplant operation.
Louise had her DLA case reviewed by a GP who came to visit her at her home. Louise was asked to walk from one side of the room to the other. An act that she able to do – and that was enough for her DLA to be withdrawn.
She told local paper, The Paisley Daily Express: “I am still on all my medication, which makes me dizzy and tired and I get really bad shakes.After a day when I have a lot to do, I end up sore and exhausted and need days to recover I’m so tired that I can hardly move”
Louise suffers from extreme breathlessness from a genetic disease that clogs up her lungs with sticky mucus.
She underwent a transplant operation in June and, since then, has been trying to rebuild her life.
This decision means that Louise will be left without any help towards her mobility costs – despite having to travel to hospital in Newcastle every six weeks for a check-up.
“There has been a bit of rejection with the new lungs and the doctors have increased my steroids which brings down my immune system”
“This means I can’t be in crowds or use public transport.”
“If they are going to take my car away from me, I don’t know how I will get around or down to Newcastle.”
Paisley MSP George McAdam said he was ‘shocked and disgusted’ by the way that Louise has been treated.
However, a DWP spokesman defended the efforts to reduce the amounts of benefits being paid to people in Louise’s position.
“We continue to spend around £13billion a year on DLA and we have a duty to keep in touch with claimants about their circumstances.”
