Sunday June 17,2012 By James Murray
Karen Sherlock
A WOMAN who spent two years fighting to stop her disability benefits from being taken away has died just weeks after finally winning her battle against bureaucrats.
Karen Sherlock, 44, was declared fit to work in 2010 even though her eyesight was failing and she needed a kidney transplant.
Her husband Nigel said it was a disgrace she was refused benefits and said her battle finally took its toll on her health.
Although she struggled to get out of bed, it was deemed she could work by officials at Atos Healthcare, which assesses benefits claimants on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions.
Last year she lost an appeal against the decision but continued her campaign. In April her £96-a-week benefits were stopped, plunging her into despair as her health deteriorated.
Although the decision was effectively overturned a few weeks ago when she was granted Employment and Support Allowance, she died on June 8.
Nigel, speaking from their home in Portsmouth, said: “Battling for her rights took a real toll. She was in very poor health for a long time and was certainly not well enough to work, although she wanted to get a job. It was just too much for her.
 Battling for her rights took a real toll. She was in very poor health for a long time and was certainly not well enough to work, although she wanted to get a job. It was just too much for her
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Husband Nigel |
“It was an absolute disgrace for someone to suggest she was capable of working and it caused her terrible anxiety in the final years of her life. It should have been plain to anybody that my wonderful wife was not capable of work. Just getting through the day at home was becoming a struggle.
“She should not have been put through the indignity of having to justify her benefits, which she wouldn’t have claimed if it was not justified.”
Sue Marsh, a friend who campaigns for the rights of the disabled, said: “She lived her last months desperately scared that her family would not survive the onslaught it faced. The system failed her and she spent her last precious moments in this world fighting for herself, for her family and others.
She spent her last months fighting for the ‘security’ of £96 a week and the reassurance that it couldn’t be taken away. She won her battle.”
A spokesman for the DWP said: “We cannot comment on the individual case but our condolences go out to the family.”
The Daily Express have got a nerve! I wonder who and what could have created an environment where this barbarism could have taken place with absolute impunity?
LOOK AND SEE
Richard Desmond, Editor of The Express. A man who plays fast and loose with people's lives: Because careless talk and HEADLINES COST LIVES. http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/7390543
8 Responses
Evil gossip kills three: the one who says it, the one who listens, and the subject of the gossip ~ Talmud
Morally redundant troll! I hope the Leveson Inquiry deals out swift hard justice.
rest in piece pussycat but the fight has to go on with this lot who every day deny more of their benefits fit for work atos but its the goverment whos fault it his as they have you go up against atos when its our goverment fuelling the abuse by this firm and would the working man wake up aand get rid of these who abuse the sick and disabled before there no one left jeff3
This is obviously a Tory supporting paper, it should be disgusted in itself, but it isn’t, this poor poor lady has had to fight for a few quid from the state to try and survive, and now she has lost her life, i must say i’m ashamed to be British at times, what happened to looking out for each other, it seems that everyone’s out for themselves now, and we are helping the wealthy to take what they want when they want.
I searched the Express website for stories about “scroungers”. People were able to comment on all of those I clicked on. Why are comments not open on Karen’s story. Are they scared that people will call the Express for the hypocrites that they are.
Lies cost lives,and will continue to do so until those who speak with forked tongue are prevented from d0ing so, and those who bathe in ignorance are finally woken up.
The DWP’s “condolences” ring pretty hollow, don’t they. R.I.P Karen.
This newspaper is only fit for burning. Hey could we organise a “burning” party for all those press that dishes out the lies on a daily basis, do it somewhere so public it cannot be ignored by the press or the politicians. Invite some labour bigwigs to join in and supply a “barbie”, turn it into a real shin dig.