'People forget you can become disabled at any point'

A LINCOLNSHIRE woman has warned that proposed welfare changes could leave disabled people with nowhere to turn. The government is planning changes to make it harder for future applicants to claim certain benefits.

- BY JAMIE WALLER Local Democracy Reporter

The bill would restrict eligibility for Personal Independent Payment (PIP) and the health-related aspect of Universal Credit. The government says this will make a “fairer, more compassionate” system, but local campaigners fear the opposite.

Vicky Pearson, 40, ran a business and was a competitive roller derby player when she had a car accident that wasn’t her fault in 2012. She suffered spinal and neck injuries as well as nerve damage.

While recovering, it emerged she had an extremely rare condition called mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) which makes her allergic to 95 per cent of food, and many other items.

"Medication for MCAS isn’t available on the NHS,” Vicky, who lives in Bardney and now works in marketing, said. “Without PIP I wouldn't be able to afford to eat or get the medication for it. I couldn’t even go to a food bank because they don’t have the specialist food.