Driver, 54, who is going blind served eviction notice after DWP lose his sick note, suspend his benefits and deem him ‘fit to work’ Christopher Brasil had his gas and electricity cut off and was forced to go to a soup kitchen and food bank

Christopher Brasil was a lorry driver for 30 years – a job he says he loved and planned to do until he retired.

But then he fractured his hip after he was hit by bicycle four years ago – which left him relying on walking sticks – and his deteriorating eyesight caused by diabetes meant the DVLA revoked his heavy goods vehicle licence.

His employers dismissed him on the grounds of ill health and gave him his P45.

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The 54-year-old, who suffers from blurred vision, vertigo, poor hearing and epilepsy, says he’s “unemployable”. But after three years of claiming disability benefits, Mr Brasil was sent for an assessment and deemed fit to work.

Just before then, he says the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) had lost his sick note and stopped his benefits for four weeks. He was then told he was no longer entitled to housing benefit – and after running up rent arrears – was given an eviction notice.

‘I feel that there is no safety net for people anymore when they get ill’ Christopher Brasil

Mr Brasil, who lives alone and has no family, was forced to go to a soup kitchen and food bank. With his gas and electricity cut off, he had taken out a credit card and considered resorting to pay day loans.

“It’s terrifying,” he told i. “I’ve just had no money for food and bills. I have no children or other family, it’s just me on my own. I feel that there is no safety net for people anymore when they get ill.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey recently defended the roll-out of the controversial new Universal Credit system – which Christopher has been forced to now claim under – amid reports 3.2 million households will lose more than £2,000 year.

‘The report was blatant lies’

After the road accident, Mr Brasil, from Greenford, London, was moved into a ground-floor flat and was claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and then was switched to Employment Support Allowance.

In January this year, he says he took a sick note to the Job Centre but it was not recorded on their systems.

“They took it off me and faxed it to someone, and then I got a letter to say my benefits were being stopped because I’d not provided a sick note,” he said.

Then a month later after he was assessed, he was made to claim Job Seeker’s Allowance.

‘The situation makes me feel on the edge. It is causing me absolute poverty. I am in arrears with council tax and water bills’ Christopher Brasil

“The report was blatant lies,” he said. “They said I attended the assessment on my own, when I didn’t. I had a social worker from a charity. And they said I didn’t use walking sticks and was fit and capable.”

Then he was told Universal Credit was being rolled out in his area and he was switched to the controversial new benefits payment – created to streamline the system and replace six benefits with a single monthly payment if you‘re out of work or on a low income.

There is a standard wait of around five weeks for claimants to receive their first payment – and Christopher was left without payments for two months.

“That’s when I had to go to a soup kitchen,” he said. “You can access a loan while you wait but you have to pay it back so you’ll struggle again later on down the line.

“The situation makes me feel on the edge. It is causing me absolute poverty. I am in arrears with council tax and water bills.”

Since his Universal Credit claim began in September, Mr Brasil’s housing benefit was stopped.

“I get £73.10 a week benefit, and my rent which I had to start paying myself comes to £80 a week,” he explained. “That’s how I got into arrears.”

Charitable help

A DWP spokesperson said: “Work capability decisions are made with consideration of all the information provided by the claimant, including supporting evidence from their GP or medical professional. Anyone who disagrees with the decision can appeal.

“Universal Credit can include housing support, and anyone who feels unable to manage their money can request that rent be paid direct to their landlord to avoid falling into rent arrears.

“Disabled people and those with a health condition can apply for Personal Independence Payments as well as Universal Credit, to help with the extra costs involved.”

Ealing Law Centre solicitors are helping Mr Brasil with his appeal and Employment Support Allowance, which provides money if you cannot work because of illness or disability.

They have managed to get his housing benefit reinstated and have negotiated with his local council to prevent steps being taken towards eviction.

Mandy Groves, trainee solicitor, said: “Although Mr Brasil’s benefits issues are not within the scope of legal aid, fortunately our small charity has some grant funding to assist people in his position who would be turned away elsewhere.”

Now Mr Brasil is waiting on a date for a tribunal. He is worried that he could face sanctions if he doesn’t take part in work-related searches and training.

“I’m not well enough to climb up stairs. If I arrive at an interview with my walking sticks and hearing aids in and tell them I’m struggling to see, who is going to give me a job?

“Yet they’ll keep expecting me to look for work and could penalise me when I can’t. It’s never-ending stress.”

Do you have a benefits story? Email claudia.tanner@inews.co.uk