 was reduced. Mr Wood has neurofibromatosis which causes neurofibromas, rare growths across his body, which led him to have an amputation in 2018. He is also on the autism spectrum. The 43-year-old was receiving the standard rate of £60 for the daily living component of PIP and the enhanced rate of £62.55 for mobility. People who are on the enhanced mobility rate can swap it for a car like Mr Wood did. Everything was lowered in July 2022 a few months after Mr Wood went through a benefit renewal assessment. He struggled with the reassessment, which was done over the phone. Mr Wood answered all the questions fully but says the report later came back with things that were 'demonstrably untrue', which meant he didn't meet the descriptors for the eligibility criteria and subsequently everything was lowered. Mr Wood told the Mirror: 'They asked me, 'how do you get to the doctors?' For me, that is a loaded question and I struggled to communicate my answer clearly. But they turned around and said, 'if you can get to the doctor, you're fine', that is a familiar environment for me. I was asked how I did my shopping, but I'm comfortable and it is not stressful, because I worked in retail for 14 years. 'Although I was on the standard rate for the daily living component originally, I always thought I should have been on the higher rate, but I didn't dare question it, I just left it but the reassessment just lowered everything. That is when I knew I had to challenge everything. At the time I occasionally wore my prosthesis and they ju){kind=link}
Aidan Wood, an amputee, was driven to severe psychological trauma when his disability benefits were ruthlessly cut because assessors thought he could walk to the bus stop
An amputee said his specially adapted mobility car was taken from him when his disability benefits were ruthlessly cut following an over-the-phone assessment.
Aidan Wood has told the Mirror how he was driven to severe psychological trauma when his Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was reduced. Mr Wood has neurofibromatosis which causes neurofibromas, rare growths across his body, which led him to have an amputation in 2018. He is also on the autism spectrum.
The 43-year-old was receiving the standard rate of £60 for the daily living component of PIP and the enhanced rate of £62.55 for mobility. People who are on the enhanced mobility rate can swap it for a car like Mr Wood did. Everything was lowered in July 2022 a few months after Mr Wood went through a benefit renewal assessment.
He struggled with the reassessment, which was done over the phone. Mr Wood answered all the questions fully but says the report later came back with things that were “demonstrably untrue”, which meant he didn’t meet the descriptors for the eligibility criteria and subsequently everything was lowered.