Andrew Newberry, 38, was sent a letter saying he was in rent arrears for his two-bedroom bungalow in Coolidge Gardens, Cottenham, as a result of the Government’s benefit reforms - even though his partner of 14 years, Jo Mair, is reduced to being able to move only her eyes by the crippling condition.
Under what critics call a ‘bedroom tax’, couples who have a spare room have their benefits cut if they do not downsize, leaving Mr Newberry out of pocket to the tune of £80 every month.
But he argued this was unfair because Miss Mair, 52, needs a separate room for a specially installed hospital-style bed and a hoist, plus carers who come in overnight.
A one-bedroom property would not be large enough for this, he argued - and would also force taxpayers to foot the bill for specialist equipment to be fitted once again.
Now, after the property was assessed, South Cambridgeshire District Council has agreed the couple should still receive the full amount of benefit.
Mr Newberry, an electrical engineer, said he wanted to make sure other couples who may be affected in the same way ensured they got all the support available to them.
Mr Newberry said: “It’s been a stress because I’ve been thinking about where am I going to get £80 a month from and whether we were going to have the bailiffs coming round. It has been playing on my mind.
“The council have now done what I wanted them to do and have said they are going to try to use this as a benchmark so if anyone else says they need two bedrooms they will go and assess it.
“I hope other people don’t find themselves in the same situation.”
Mr Newberry is currently unemployed and is claiming benefits because the NHS cannot afford to provide the round-the-clock care which would allow him to go back to work.
Carers visit during the day and stay overnight to look after Miss Mair, who was a keen horse rider before she contracted the disease.
A spokesman said a decision was taken as soon as the council had all the information required.
He said: “We must work within strict national housing benefit regulations when calculating entitlements and are pleased we have been able to work with Mr Newberry to establish all the facts so we could make an informed assessment.
“We can confirm the couple will continue to receive housing benefit payments for a two-bedroom property as Miss Mair requires an overnight carer.”
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