A charity has criticised the government after an eight-year-old boy with a congenital heart condition lost his disability living allowance (DLA). Ben Gamble, from Coventry, was born with half a heart and has undergone five operations. He will need a heart transplant to survive into adulthood.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) cut his DLA after a recent assessment, judging that he could walk 50 metres at a normal pace. The decision, which arrived on Ben's eighth birthday, means his family loses £700 a month and access to other support, including carer allowances and council tax reductions.
Ben's father, Paul, who is his full-time carer, said: 'It was ridiculous. Happy birthday, you’re not disabled any more and you have a perfect heart.' He described the news as 'like a bomb went off in my head'.
Linda Burnip of Disabled People Against the Cuts said the decision 'seems to be a way of trying to reduce expenditure without making sure the person is getting the help and support they need to contribute to society'. She added that families with heart conditions need constant monitoring, making DLA a vital 'passport' benefit.
The family's appeal will be heard at Coventry Magistrates Court on 15 November, backed by local councillor Ed Ruane. He said: 'It does make you question how we’ve allowed a culture in society to develop so strongly, where central government thinks it’s acceptable to take money away from an eight-year-old boy with a severe heart condition.'
A DWP spokesman said decisions are made after considering all evidence, and anyone who disagrees can appeal.
