A family say they were left struggling financially when their son’s disability payments were stopped. Kori Parkin-Stovell, eight, is fighting for his life in a critical condition following complications from a heart transplant last year.
His disability living allowance was stopped because it was deemed that his transplant made him healthy again and his family, from Ripley, Derbyshire, are now £1,100 a month worse off. The Department for Work and Pensions also took their mobility car and they have to rely on taxis to visit their son.
His mum Kerry lee received a call from the DWP on October 23 telling her that the allowance would be stopped. His disability living allowance was stopped because it was deemed that his transplant made him healthy again.
After a month of struggling, she said: ‘DWP who stopped every penny of my sons DLA, took our motorbility car away and said he was well and a normal healthy little boy.
‘Maybe they should come along to hospital, where my son has just been admitted due to low kidney function and possibly rejection. ‘Tell my little boy how healthy is he and assure me that I don’t have to watch my child possibly fight for his life again.
I can’t cope anymore. ‘We don’t even have spare money to pay fuel to get home to get any possessions and come back to hospital again, because they took all our hospital funding away and it was a decision by the transplant team to get Kori to hospital asap this afternoon. ‘I feel like sobbing. I have no fight left.’
The DWP has now reinstated the money with arrears Kerry lee received a call from the DWP on October 23 telling her that the allowance would be stopped
Facebook friends started a fundraiser and they managed to gather over £2,200 in donations. The DWP said they did not know that Kori had relapsed and his benefits were reinstated. A spokesman said: ‘Our thoughts are with Kori and his family at this difficult time. His Disability Living
Allowance has been reinstated in full, including arrears.’ Giving an update on his condition yesterday, Kerry lee said: ‘Kori is about to go to theatre to be ventilated, he will have a pacemaker fitted to try and sort his heart rhythm.
The DWP said they did not realise that his health had deteriorated ‘He’s critical, the said his heart can stop at any point so they need to take the stress from his body. ‘He won’t be moved to
Newcastle just yet as he’s not stable and they don’t have any beds as yet. ‘As soon as he can be moved, he will be. It’s hour by hour now.’