Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Blind man repeatedly had benefits stopped because DWP failed to send his letters in braille

Rob Powell had to turn to payday loans to survive after blundering pen-pushers continually sent him letters he couldn't read

Blind fury: Rob Powell was threatened with having his benefits cut because of delays in sending letters to him in braille

Robert Powell couldn’t believe it when his benefits were suddenly stopped by Iain Duncan Smith’s DWP pen-pushers.

Rob, 46, who is blind, has worked most of his life. But in September 2011 he was made redundant by a charity and applied for disability benefits.

“I wrote on the form that I am totally blind and have been since birth,” he says. “I told the Department for Work and Pensions I’ve got no sight at all.”

Despite this, instead of sending him letters in Braille, the DWP ­communicated with him by an ordinary letter on numerous occasions.

When he didn’t reply, his housing benefit and ­Employment Support Allowance were repeatedly delayed.

“I had no money to eat,” says Rob, a small business adviser from Dagenham, Essex. He was forced to turn to payday loans to survive.

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