Bognor Regis man with cerebral palsy set to lose vital mobility vehicle after PIP payments cancelled

His sister, Katie Crook, said Tim’s care home does not have access to a wheelchair-adapted vehicle and, thanks to his condition, it’s impossible to transport him in a normal car, meaning the loss will have a profound effect on his quality of life.

"He needs so much equipment, including a ventilator to help with his breathing,” Mrs Crook explained. “So it’s not an easy job to take him out, but I take him home from the care home every weekend, I take him on holiday, I take him to all his doctor's appointments and do my best to help him lead a normal life. Why shouldn’t he be entitled to go out, at 43 years of age?"

This is an urgent battle for Tim and his family, not just because he’s set to lose the bus next month, but because he was put on palliative care back in 2019. That means, although every effort is made to maintain his health and wellbeing, Tim’s family don’t know how long he has left.

"We’ve had to fight for everything with Tim,” Mrs Crook said. “It’s getting us down as a family and we just want to enjoy the time that we’ve got with him.

A spokesperson for the DWP said: “Where someone is in an NHS funded hospital or similar institution they can continue to receive PIP (personal independence payments) for 28 days from the day after they are admitted to ensure they are able to meet any outstanding costs incurred before they entered.

“We continued to support Mr Harrison beyond the first 28 days while we worked with the relevant authorities to establish his care funding. Now funding has been established, Mr Harrison is no longer entitled to PIP.”

Mrs Crook said Tim has been funded by continuing healthcare (CHC) since 2017 and lived in care homes since he was 18, but problems with payments on his mobility vehicle only started earlier this year.

“We’re frustrated and angry. Really angry.” she said. “because no one’s helping us. Why should he suffer? He’s 43 years old, why should we just leave him stuck in his room?”

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