A Brucehill man with epilepsy has slammed the DWP for still not reassessing him three weeks after he exposed them for insisting he’s fit to get a job despite his deteriorating condition making it impossible as he admits that he is at his ‘lowest’.
Ryan Connelly, 47, says the Department for Work and Pensions has assessed him as having limited capability to work despite him having daily seizures, and since last speaking to the Lennox three weeks ago about this, he has received no contact to fix his situation.
Since not being reassessed, Ryan has fallen deeper into debt and has said that he is at his lowest.
Ryan said: “I am still having seizures. From Wednesday last week to Monday night, I took a total of nine seizures.
“I stay with my partner from Thursday to Sunday, and I stay with either my brother or my parents the rest of the time to look after me.
“My mum witnessed me having two seizures in one day the other day. She was in a terrible state.
“It is affecting my partner now too. I have been getting different effects from my medication. I am going from being very angry one minute to extremely emotional the next.
“Twice in the past week, I have felt at my lowest, where I feel like I have just had enough.”
MP for West Dunbartonshire, Martin Docherty-Hughes, said: “We see repeated examples like this where the UK’s social security system fails to treat people with the fairness and dignity they deserve.
“Far too many people, especially those with ill health or disabilities, find the system overly complex. It can leave them struggling to afford basic essentials and facing undue stress.
“I’d of course be happy to provide any assistance I can to Mr Connelly.”
A spokesperson for the DWP said: “We are assessing people as quickly as possible as we continue to recover from the impact of Covid-19 and reducing waiting times for claimants is a priority for the department.”
