- He quit his job in 2007
- after becoming severely ill:
- depression
- anxiety.
- He rarely left his home, refused
- to talk to friends and relatives
- or answer the door or phone
- often spent days
- in the same room.
- He lived off his savings for two years
- until his money ran out.
- In early 2009
- he finally began talking again
- to his father and step-mother.
- They persuaded him to apply for support.
- He was assessed by a doctor employed
- by a government contractor.
- The doctor concluded
- there was ‘no evidence
- to suggest that the client’s health condition
- due to their depression
- is uncontrolled,
- uncontrollable or life
- threatening.’
- He asked the Department to reconsider
- as this disagreed wildly
- with the opinion of his doctor
- his psychiatric nurse
- and his psychiatrist.
- He found out
- in January 2010
- the Department agreed
- with its earlier decision.
- Although he began
- the next stage of the process –
- an independent appeal –
- a few days later
- his body was found.
[Disability News Service, 02/12/2019, DWP: The Case for the Prosecution]