A mother who was awarded personal independence payment (PIP) for stomach issues has revealed that when she applied for a change in circumstances after a serious brain condition, her benefits stopped as she wasn’t deemed ill enough. Sarah Drinkwater, 48, told i she is on more than 20 tablets a day, as well as morphine for the pain she suffers. Due to her health conditions, she is unable to leave the house on her own or without her 28-year-old son who is her full-time carer who helps her go to the toilet and get dressed.
Mr Drinkwater had been receiving around £68 a week PIP bene fit from around five years ago after suffering serious stomach issues which led to her giving up work due to the severe pain. Then last year, after becoming very ill, she was diagnosed with a brain condition as well as an enlarged cyst on her spine. The 48-year-old underwent brain surgery last October to try to alleviate some of her symptoms.
She had applied for a change of circumstances with her PIP, thinking her added health conditions would mean she was entitled to more money. Instead, soon after undergoing brain surgery, she was told her PIP was being withdrawn . Ms Drinkwater added: “The woman who interviewed me over the telephone for my PIP assessment in December was horrible to me and stressed me out and wouldn’t let me answer my questions properly.
“Then I did a mandatory reconsideration . I had an interview on the phone and told them everything that had happened and I was awarded zero.