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A disabled veteran was forced to sell everything he owns to survive after he was refused benefits payments, he has claimed.

Mark Smith, 46, says he has been left "starving, freezing and suicidal" since his Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was stopped.

The dad-of-two, from Hull, now only receives Employment Support Allowance (ESA) which he claims is not enough to live on.

Mr Smith feels he deserves PIP as he has suffers from cervical myelopathy, a compression on the cervical spinal cord, which makes it impossible for him to work.

He was diagnosed in 2016 and had two of the seven cervical vertebrae in his neck removed, which has left him struggling to walk and get out of the house, Hull Live reports.

(Image: Hull Daily Mail / MEN Media)

But the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says Mr Smith has received a letter explaining the full reason for the decision made not to award him PIP, and that he can appeal if he disagrees.

However, Mr Smith fears that he will soon run out of money after selling his property online.

"The only reason that I've got money to eat and heat my home at the moment is because my ex-partner has been flogging my possessions on eBay," he said.

"At the moment I'm only on £112 a fortnight with my ESA, which isn't enough to live off, and I was hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel if my PIP was to come through, but I was told after my assessment that it has been refused, but they gave me no reasons why.

"I don't know what to do now - it's made me feel awful and suicidal. I'm at the end of my tether and I feel so angry.

(Image: Hull Daily Mail / MEN Media)

"I wish I could work - I used to be in the Army and worked in the NHS, but I'm disabled and now can barely walk about the house without being in agonising pain."

For Mr Smith, the experience of missing out on extra benefits support has made him feel "worthless" and he says he has to rely on charity to get by.

"At the moment I'm relying on handouts and selling things on eBay, but now I've run out of things to sell - I've got nothing left and I'm just relying on the goodwill of friends and charity to survive.

"I feel so worthless, as I used to be completely self sufficient when I worked, but now I can't look after myself or offer anything back to charity - I can't even rattle a bucket for the Hull Veterans that help me so much.

"Some days I have to chose between eating or heating my house, but I lock up like a plank of wood when the heating isn't on because of the problems I have with my neck.

"It's wrong and completely sickening that I have been denied benefits - and it's not just me, people are dying out there without benefits support."

The government say that Mr Smith can follow the appeals process after being refused PIP.

A DWP spokesman said: “We are committed to ensuring that disabled people get the support they are entitled to, and Mr Smith is in receipt of ESA.

“PIP is available to help with the extra costs of a disability or long-term health condition. If someone disagrees with a decision they can appeal to an independent appeals service.”