A disabled lawyer has launched a ground-breaking legal case against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over his claim that it deliberately discriminated against him in rejecting his claim for disability benefits.
Daniel Donaldson, founder of the Scottish social enterprise law firm Legal Spark, believes DWP has chosen to discriminate against him and other people with mental health conditions in the way it has dealt with their personal independence payment (PIP) claims.
He says DWP disregarded the evidence relating to his mental health – and focused instead on other impairments – and made no attempt to seek medical evidence about his mental health from his GP, while his assessor lied about his medication.
He believes, like many other disabled campaigners, that the system uses people without the right training and qualifications to assess PIP claims.
He said: “The DWP refused to accept anything from me, and thereafter I had to appeal and wait.
“In the meantime, debt, frustration and stress ensued. My health deteriorated – they actually made it worse.”
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