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A severely disabled woman, with the mental age of a toddler, had her benefits stopped by the Department of Work and Pensions because she “missed an appointment”.

Georgina Ball has aicardi syndrome, a rare brain abnormality which means she suffers from severe epileptic seizures and learning disabilities, and is unable to walk, talk, read or write.

The 26-year-old claims Employment Support Allowance but this was stopped in December after her mum received a letter to say that her daughter had missed an appointment, to be medically assessed for work.

Mum Paula, who is Georgina’s full time carer, says that she never received a letter, and added that even if she did her daughter cannot attend the appointment because the centre does not have the facilities to deal with her needs.

The 53-year-old said: “What three-year-old would be able to go to work? Georgina can’t read, she can’t write, she likes Teletubies and Thomas the Tank Engine.

“I do everything for her.

“I think it is disgusting that someone with her disabilities has to go and prove them.”

The mother-of-three said she was first sent a letter by the DWP, on December 23, to say she had “missed an appointment” and subsequently her daughter’s benefit had been stopped.

She said she rang the DWP and they told her to send in a letter detailing her daughters needs, which she sent back by recorded delivery.

Her doctor at The Walton Centre also sent a letter confirming Georgina’s medical condition.

However she then received another appointment, to go to the Mann Island Health Assessment Advisory Service.

Mrs Ball, from Huyton , said she asked whether the service had changing facilities as Georgina is doubly incontinent and was told there was a disabled toilet, but she said that is not sufficient for Georgina.

She claims at no point has the DWP offered her a home visit, but they have since back paid her benefit.

However she said she was told if she does not attend the scheduled appointment, on February 15, her benefit will again be stopped.

The mum-of-three Mrs Ball said: “I am absolutely furious. I will not let my daughter be used as a guinea pig.

“Georgina’s condition is only going to get worse.

“There is no chance of her getting better, she has a poor prognosis of life.

“But many disabled people, like Georgina, don’t have people to fight their case for them and are dragged to these appointments and then when they don’t go, they have their money stopped.

“I understand that there are people wrongly playing the system and they have to check but they are doing it to the wrong people.

“They have all Georgina’s medical evidence in front of them. She will never be able to work.”

A spokesperson for DWP said: “We review people’s circumstances to ensure they have access to the correct level of support to match their needs.

“But we recognise that for some people their conditions are unlikely to change, which is why we recently announced that we will be stopping re-assessments for people with the most severe health conditions and disabilities.”

The DWP said that Mrs Ball had not completed a ESA50 form, which allows it to determine whether a face to face appointment is required and therefore the appointment Georgina was scheduled for was a three yearly review.