Man Who Can’t Walk, Talk Or Feed Himself Called For Back To Work Interview

Officials have apologised after a man who cannot walk, talk or feed himself was told he had to attend a Job Centre interview to discuss his benefit payments as well as “training to up date his skills.”

Nick Gaskin, 46, from Quorn, was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) 16 years ago.
He can no longer do anything for himself and needs round the clock care.

He and his wife Tracy were astonished to receive a letter from the Loughborough Job Centre with an appointment for July 22.

The letter states: “You and your personal advisor will discuss the possibility of going into paid work, training for work, or looking for work in the future.”

His wife, Tracy, called the centre to explain the situation but was told he still had to attend.

She said: “Nick communicates by blinking for yes and no.

“He has a good life but it is ludicrous to get a letter like this and to have to attend an appointment.

“When I called the number on the letter the person said if we couldn’t get to the centre perhaps there could be a telephone interview.

“Nick can’t speak, the man obviously hadn’t been listening to me.”

Mrs Gaskin said her husband had been in receipt of disability allowance for 16 years.

She added: “This is a pointless interview and a waste of everyone’s time and resource.

“There has got to be a better way. Why can’t we produce written evidence ?”

“Nick was, and still is, a very proud man who would give anything to get up out of his chair and provide for his family.

“Unfortunately MS has stripped him of that.

“In the end we had a laugh about him learning new skills but the very serious side is letters like this going to people, especially the elderly who don’t have support around them.

“It is likely to be very distressing.”

A spokesman at the Department for Work and Pensions has apologised and said that Mr Gaskin had been sent the wrong letter.

He added: “We wanted to give Mr Gaskin the option of attending a voluntary ‘keeping in touch’ meeting, and we have apologised to him for any suggestion this would be a mandatory meeting.”

The spokesman said staff at the Job Centre which had sent the wrong letter were investigating how it happened.