Man with incurable cancer has benefits stopped
- Published
Former carpenter Alan Goff has been told to avoid public transport because his immune system is so weak
A man who has an incurable form of bone marrow cancer had benefit payments stopped after an assessor deemed him "fully capable to do everything".
Alan Goff, 57, from Eltham, south-east London, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2016, which he said left him partially sighted and unable to work.
But benefits to help with his mobility and living needs ended in December.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has now reinstated and backdated the former carpenter's payments.
This followed Mr Goff's case being highlighted by his MP, Labour's Clive Efford, at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
Mr Goff began claiming a Personal Independence Payment (PIP), external - designed to cover extra costs faced by those with a long-term ill-health or disability - the year after his diagnosis in 2017.
In September 2018, he underwent assessment by the DWP and filled in a self-assessment form in which he had to describe his capabilities.
This resulted in his PIP being stopped two months later.
Mr Goff was diagnosed the day after he returned from honeymoon with his wife Linda in June 2016
Mr Goff said: "My consultant told me I should stay away from public transport because my immune system is so weak... but the DWP basically put me down as fully capable to do everything."
The former carpenter added: "I can't work either. I can't use power tools, because anything with sudden impact can be dangerous for my bones, which are very brittle as a result of the cancer."
Mr Efford called on the government to "show some compassion, intervene and stop this injustice".
Dr Moira Fraser Pearce, from Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The government must fix the well-documented issues that vulnerable people, including cancer patients, are facing when trying to access benefits, before thousands more are put at risk."
A DWP spokeswoman said: "Our thoughts are with Mr Goff at this difficult time and we have apologised for the distress caused."