Government forced into U-turn over disability benefits for chronically ill

Government forced into U-turn over disability benefits for chronically ill Sick claimants were wrongly denied benefits because they were not taking powerful painkillers

Campaigners have forced a government U-turn after demonstrating that chronically ill claimants suffering severe pain were wrongly denied disability benefits on the basis that they were not taking powerful, opiate-based painkillers.

Bristol Law Centre said disability benefit assessors routinely assumed that if a claimant had been prescribed an “over the counter” drug such as paracetamol then their pain must be mild or moderate, and denied or reduced benefits accordingly. The Guardian