Scottish Amputee Has His PIP's Stopped

SCOTLAND - Tommy Weir a swimming instructor has had his benefits cut after a DWP report claimed his foot had healed.

Tommy Weir says the reference to his left foot was either 'gross incompetence or simply a lie' because he doesn't have a left foot. The swimming pool manager’s life was changed drastically after a bone infection led to sepsis and an eventual amputation of his leg under the knee in October 2017

The amputee's benefits were cut by the DWP after an assessor claimed a wound on his non-existent foot had “completely healed”.

Tommy, 56, is just one of thousands of people having their benefits cut by the government. Tommy was initially examined at home by the discredited Independent Assessment Services (IAS), previously known as ATOS.

He said of the assessor’s later claim: “The reference to my left foot was either gross incompetence or simply a lie because I don’t have a left foot. 

“I honestly believe I’m yet another case where IAS have quotas to fulfil that rely on refusing people’s applications for PIP or other benefits, no matter what kind of disability is put in front of them.”

In the IAS assessment, it is recorded in a “current symptoms” section that “the wound on his left foot has healed”.

Image: Tommy Weir, yet another controversial stoppage of his Personal Independence Payments  (Image: Daily Record - Tony Nicoletti).

Tommy, who has worked at the local authority leisure centre in Renfrew for 35 years, said: “My employers have been great, and they have made adaptations at work to allow me to do my job.

“I believe IAS takes the opposite view, that they are set up to take things away, not to help.”

A spokesperson from IAS last night apologised to Tommy - but refused to say his PIP would be reinstated.

The spokesperson said: “We are looking into this, we understand this was an error and would like to apologise to Mr Weir, as the wording should have read that his wound had healed.”

A DWP spokesperson said: “PIP is awarded based on someone’s needs arising from a disability or health condition and those needs can change over time with rehabilitation or, in the case of amputees, with the use of prosthetics.

“Decisions are made following consideration of all the information provided, including any assessment report and supporting evidence from a GP or medical specialist. If someone disagrees with the decision, they can of course ask for it to be looked at again.

Image: Tommy Weir, (Image: Daily Record - Tony Nicoletti).

“Mr Weir has asked us to reconsider our decision and we will contact him as soon as we have looked at his case again.”

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