Nick Gaskin, 46, and a resident of Leicestershire, has been in a wheelchair for 16 years due to multiple sclerosis (MS). He is no longer able to do anything by himself and has to receive care round the clock. He can only communicate by blinking.
Recently, he received a letter from the job center telling him that he has to be present for an interview. The center wanted to discuss his payment benefits, since Gaskin has been receiving disability allowance for 16 years. They also wanted him to undergo further "training to update his skills."
"You and your personal advisor will discuss the possibility of going into paid work, training for work, or looking for work in the future," stated the letter, the Mirror reported.
His wife, Tracy, tried to get in touch with the staff at the center to tell them this might be a mistake, but she was told he still needed to be there or at least have Nick do a telephone interview.
"This is a pointless interview and a waste of everyone's time and resource. There has got to be a better way. Why can't we produce written evidence?" Tracy wondered, according to the Mirror.
Outraged, Tracy contacted the local media to tell her story. Nick's plight received such a strong response from the public, including from the rest of Europe, Africa and America, according to Leicester Mercury.
As it turns out, Gaskin's case is not an isolated one, as Tracy soon learned. The outpouring of sentiments about Nick's case brought to light other similar stories. "It is not just about how many people have received these letters in similar circumstances but also how many have been to the interview - but if you get a letter from an organization telling you to go for an interview, you do, don't you?" she said, according to Leicester Mercury.
The Department for Work and Pensions has since apologized to the family, saying, "Claimants in the support group of employment support allowance are not required to attend mandatory meetings. We have been in contact with Mrs. Gaskin to apologize for the misunderstanding."
The Gaskins were also informed that the agency will have to look into changing their correspondence to people with disability to avoid committing the same mistake in the future, the Leicester Mercury reported.
