Article by -Anuji Varma, Birmingham Mail
A BIRMINGHAM dad died from a serious heart condition – weeks after Government assessors stopped his benefits and ruled he was fit for work.
Paul Turner, 52, from Erdington, was ordered to find a job in February following a medical review with doctors.
But he died on April 2 from ischaemic heart disease – caused, his family claim, by the stress of losing his benefits.
The dad-of-one was medically retired from his job as a stores manager for West Midlands Travel in 2000 after he suffered a heart attack. He later had to undergo a double bypass because of the condition.
Mr Turner, who also had angina, was claiming around £400 per month incapacity benefit until he was called in for a review at the Midlands Disability Benefits Centre in Five Ways in January.
Three weeks later he received a letter stating he was not entitled to the new Employment and Support Allowance, the controversial new payment that has replaced Incapacity Benefit.
On April 2 Mr Turner flew to France for a short family holiday with his wife and teenage son. Later that evening he suffered heart failure and died.
His death certificate recorded the cause as ischaemic heart disease, a condition which also cost the lives of his father and grandfather.
Mr Turner’s widow was too upset to speak about the case, but she is continuing his appeal to prove he was unfit for work.
But his devastated mum Sheila, 76, said: “We believe the claim he was fit to work brought on his death. He was very upset and worried that he would fail any medical given to him by a potential employer.
“He also thought the officials believed he was a fraud who should not have been claiming this benefit in the first place.
“But Paul was a very proud man. He was entitled to claim more through the system, but he didn’t.”
During the medical assessment Mr Turner’s family claim he did not undergo any physical tests, which could have picked up problems with his heart.
Mum-of-three Sheila added: “The observations of the healthcare professional were based on dialogue as the only two tests performed involved Paul either sitting in a chair or kneeling on a chair.
“They just asked questions about how long he could sit for, and looked at his back and hips.
“When Paul was told of the decision he was distraught. He didn’t know how he would explain the 12-year gap of not working to any employers. And he was worried about what people would think.”
Last night, a Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “Our sympathy goes out to Mr Turner’s family during what is obviously a very difficult time.
‘‘The work capability assessment is just that – an assessment of what, if any, work a person could undertake.
‘‘Jobcentre Plus decision makers look at all available information, including any medical evidence, to support their claim.”
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“On April 2 Mr Turner flew to France for a short family holiday with his wife and teenage son. Later that evening he suffered heart failure and died.”
See what they done there!!!, anyone reading the above will think the government are right in doing what they are doing!!!, there is this man in ill health in need of financial assistance flying off to holiday in France!!!. Notice how the article states “On April 2 Mr Turner flew to France” (Why put the date in) making a point about the date, making it clear he went on holiday AFTER he lost his benefit.
You have to ask yourself one simple question here…How many disabled people do you know that can afford to go on holiday AFTER they have lost their benefit/s, I don’ know off one!!!!!. Yet, the above article found one!!!!!!. Fair enough, his wife and son may have been working, but there again people will be thinking then why should he be entitled to any kind of benefit if that was the case. Such articles as above are just a further subtle form of demonising those on benefits.
If you read the story properly you will see that the main focus of the article was that he was too ill to work, hence why he died a few weeks after he was assessed.
The holiday to france was just a weekend break, and there are extremely cheap flights you can get over to that country. It’s hardly a luxury holiday that would break the bank. The date is significant because that is the day he died and thus illustrates how many weeks after he was assessed that this poor man lost his life.
What’s this? the holiday police? With respect Who, you don’t know the circumstances and i don’t see why they have to justify a short break to anyone.
“you don’t know the circumstances”
.
Lou Bexfield
Yes I do!!!, I’m led to believe the “circumstances”, they are in the article, just like the public who read the article are led to believe the “circumstances”. What do you think the public will think when they read the article ?. Read Berniethebolt on July 4, 2012 at 3:33 pm post, that is what most people reading the article will think, its not what I think, I’m not thinking that, I am pointing out what the many who read the article will think, I’ve have been there, going away for a few days holiday when your on benefits and getting a car on mobility doesn’t go down too well with some of the neighbours, I can assure you of that, one of the reasons I had to move!!!!!!!!!. Sad world, but, my first post is spot on, the problem here is some don’t want to see it, even although they know it, can’t find it in my heart to blame them…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/04/ian-birrell-prejudice-against-disabled
Sorry to sound unsympathetic but I agree with the last poster. Most people having been turned down for benefit could not afford to fly off on holiday. Not only that but if he were really that Ill should he have been flying in the first place. How do the family know it was not the stress of 2 flights within a short space of time that caused the fatal attack?
Please can we not turn against eachother on small details? That is precisely what this government want. They would be chortling over their subsidised house of comments wine reading this sort of thing. i refer you to my comment above.
Are we now saying anyone on benefits isn’t entitled to a holiday? Surely even people on benefits are entitled to have some break, surely we haven’t become that unempathetic?
Should people on benefits just stay hidden away inside, have no pleasure in life whatsoever?…
I feel that`s exactly what the government want. `On benefits? You have no entitlement to any quality of life` Sad, but I fear, true.
I think people are missing the point of the story. He was told he was healthy enough to work. He started looking for a job and even the mere stress of writing his CV caused him to have heart failure.
If Paul had eventually managed to find a job I’m sure it would only have been a matter of time before he died whilst working.
He may have booked and paid for his holiday well before his benefits assessment.
The fact he went on holiday is not the issue and I think the first poster who pointed it out has actually made it into an issue him/herself. They are simply detracting from the real story here – and that is the scandal of these assessments that are carried out by medics who have no idea about the person they are examining. And that these examinations have no relation to the actual illness the person is suffering.
“The fact he went on holiday is not the issue”
It is very much the “issue”, if you can’t see what it puts into the publics minds you must live in somekind of make beleive world!!!.
Berniethebolt, yes, it puts a lot of things into peoples minds, many will think as you have said, seems some on here just can’t see the wood for the trees!!!!!!.
The real scandal is that these examinations are nothing to do with what illnesses/physical problems the people undergoing the WCA suffer from. That is not their purpose. They are there solely to determine whether a person may be capable of work or not. So it doesn’t matter what proof or evidence is provided because the WCA assassins sorry I meant assessors aren’t there to make a medical diagnosis. Unfortunately they make the assumption that if someone can do a specific task successfully they are capable of working, and until the Government agrees to change the system then more and more people will be affected. I have been through the system and found not fit for work but that was because my health issue was that I had 2 operations and walked on crutches but could not use a wheelchair due to a third problem. The issue so many people have in trying to get through the WCA is that their health problems are not immediately obvious to the naked eye.
I apologise for my earlier post I was totally out of order
U are like me, read between every line, the media do this tactic alot lately, its blatant as a means to express us as luxury driven scavangers. Sickeningly done isnt it.
I know exactly where youre coming from and it infuriates me no end that journos do this, we’re supposed to believe theyre on our side for reporting on the factor but clear as day the subliminal message is ‘look benefit claimants go abroad on holiday’. So damn wrong.
This guy wasnt a malingerer, his family were working and like anyone on the planet, claiming or not, he had a right to a break away from this dump we live in.