A man with multiple debilitating illnesses who was denied benefits and deemed fit to work, sparking a national outcry over the government’s welfare system, has died.
Stephen Smith, 64, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis and an enlarged prostate that left him in chronic pain, made headline news earlier this year. Shocking pictures showed him emaciated in hospital with pneumonia as his weight dropped to six stone, leaving him barely able to walk.
He failed a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) work capability assessment in 2017, which meant that his employment support allowance (ESA) payments were stopped. Instead, he was told to sign on to receive a £67 a week jobseeker’s allowance, visit the jobcentre once a week and prove that he was looking for work.
The man’s plight, first reported by the Liverpool Echo, prompted widespread outrage and an apology from the DWP.
A friend of Smith confirmed to the Guardian that he had died last Monday and that his family had asked for privacy. One friend, quoted by the Liverpool Echo, said Smith had never recovered from pneumonia. “He was a good soul of the earth. He would do anything for anyone,” they added.
News of Smith’s death prompted renewed anger over his treatment. Within hours, nearly 300 people had taken to the local newspaper’s social media pages to express their disgust. One said it was “absolutely heartbreaking” and added: “RIP poor poor man, you should never [have] been put through this.”
Smith, who lived alone, said in February that he did not know where to turn as his health deteriorated. “I could only make it to the kitchen to make food once a day. I had no muscles in the back of my leg, which meant I couldn’t stand up at all, and had to lean or sit down all the time, but they were telling me I was fit for work.”
Smith’s case was taken up by Liverpool’s Casa community centre and Terry Craven, a benefit claims adviser. Opinions were sought from two doctors, who confirmed that Smith experienced significant difficulty and pain when completing simple movements and daily activities.
A note written by one of them stated: “It is my opinion that Mr Smith could not walk 20 metres without pain or exhaustion.”
The opinions were submitted as evidence to bolster Smith’s case, but in January last year his appeal was rejected by the DWP. It informed him that he had not scored the requisite number of points to be deemed as having limited capability for work.
His ESA was only reinstated 12 months later when a judge saw Smith’s condition for himself. Smith had been forced to get a pass to discharge himself from hospital, where he was being treated for pneumonia, in order to attend the tribunal and fight his case.
A DWP spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Stephen Smith.
“We are committed to ensuring that people with health conditions get the support they’re entitled to.”