A WOMAN from Didcot has spoken out of her distress after she had her disability benefits scrapped that help her to pay for her motability car and essential treatment.

For more than 20 years, Sue Such has suffered from a musculoskeletal disorder after several accidents from work, which has caused pain in her joints, ligaments, muscles and nerves.

She relied on her Disability Living Allowance money to fund manipulative therapy, which is not available on the NHS, to retain any form of mobility.

The 56-year-old is also receiving treatment for breast cancer.

But after she was unable to attend an assessment centre in Swindon, Mrs Such received a letter informing her that her £80 a week would be scrapped.

She said: “It is outrageous that Didcot disability claimants are being sent to Swindon for an assessment, that is about a 64-mile round trip for me.

“I did not attend because I physically could not.

“Any walking and I was in agony with acute cramps in my calves and it felt like I had electric shocks running in my feet.

“Before, when I have been assessed, they asked me to go to Didcot Jobs Centre, which is just down the road from my house.

“I gave them the same reasons why I couldn’t attend and they accepted it – I don’t see why they could not have done my assessment on paper evidence like I asked.”

Since her benefits were stopped in September, Mrs Such has lost even more of her independence as she had to return her motability car.

She added: “The car is my legs.

“But I have had to give that back and now I reply on people more than ever to get me to the shops.

“The whole point of these disability benefits is to assist people to live independent lives, but how can I do that now?”

In a bid to get her vital support reinstated Mrs Such is appealing the decision to stop her weekly benefits.

She added: “Rather than assisting a person with chronic health problems, the department of work and pensions are penalising me.”

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: “Assessment are an important part of PIP to ensure we make the right decision about a person’s benefit entitlement.

“The format of an assessment is decided based on evidence from the claimant and their GP about their condition and providers are able to help the claimant to attend where needed, for example by providing a taxi.”

However, Mrs Such says no offer of a taxi was made.

The department confirmed that anyone has a right to ask for a mandatory reconsideration to any decision and that where possible assessments are made on the basis of evidence submitted.