DWP admit Universal Credit mistake that left cancer mum freezing

The Department for Work and Pensions has apologised for ‘incorrectly handling’ the claim of a widow with cancer, struggling to eat and heat her home.

Deborah Parsons said that she and her 13-year-old daughter had been “plunged into poverty” after being diagnosed with breast cancer and unable to work, as she could not obtain any extra benefits as she already received a Widowed Parent’s Allowance.

The 52-year-old from Sidmouth  known as Debs, said she had learnt how “dire” the benefit system is after being given £0 in Universal Credit, leaving her under “enormous financial pressure”.

Debs applied for Employment Support Allowance, ESA, just a few weeks after her diagnosis, but was told she had not made enough National Insurance contributions to receive a payment.

She then applied for Universal Credit on October 29 and had to attend the Job Centre which was a 15 minute drive from her home, feeling “extremely unwell” to have an appointment with a work coach.

Her claim was backdated to September, with her entitlement working out at £594.90, but as she was in receipt of a widow’s allowance as her husband died when she was pregnant, and his private Royal Mail pension, her entitlement was reduced to £0.

The DWP previously told Debs and Devon Live that she was not entitled to Limited Capability for Work Related Activity payment, even though she was self-employed and cannot continue working, as she had to wait three months to receive this benefit.

Debs has now been paid £266.71 and the DWP has apologised as Debs should have received this payment on October 30, as she applied for ESA in July.

Debs said: “I’m very grateful to Devon Live for sorting this and I’d like to query why it takes a reporter to look at it before it’s fixed.   

“The DWP were quite happy to leave me with no money over Christmas.”

Debs’ Universal Credit claim has also been updated.

The mum-of-three said she had relied on the £560 widowed allowance payment to pay her mortgage and that she has lost a huge chunk of her income as she cannot work, after having a mastectomy and “invasive” surgery, as well as having weekly chemotherapy treatments and trips to Honiton Hospital to ensure the cancer has not spread.

“We’re all just a diagnosis away from disaster” she previously told DevonLive.

She said: “I can assure you, if I was well enough to work, I wouldn’t need a work coach.

“I just don’t know what I’m going to do. I feel guilty that I’m not working at the moment and that’s wrong.

“I’ve just been so worried with how I’m going to pay for everything.”

She said that she hopes to return to her business when she is able to work, but has lost a lot of her clients as they are unable to wait for her to return to work.

Debs added: “People want a cleaner not an oncology patient.

“It’s not just me I’m fighting for, it’s everyone else like me too. We’re all human and we all come and go the same way.

“It’s tough having the diagnosis then having to fight for the support. Illness is just too easily overlooked as actually we are all just one diagnosis away from being in this hardship.  

“We all think it won’t happen to us. But it can happen to anyone.”

A DWP spokeperson said: “We are sorry that Ms Parson’s claim was not handled correctly. We have amended this, paid her the arrears owed and apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

You can read the original story here.