Man born without arms or legs forced to prove he can’t work

A man born without arms or legs has slammed the government after being forced to fill in a fitness-to-work questionnaire three times in one year.

Kevin Donnellon, 58, was one of the children affected in the thailidomide tragedy which saw approximately 2,000 babies born with malformed limbs as a side effect of a sedative drug.

Fewer than 500 victims of the thalidomide disaster have lived past 50.

The survivor, from Liverpool, now has to complete ‘intrusive’ 24-page booklets from the Department for Work and Pensions in order to keep his benefits, according to Mirror Online.

In 2019 alone, he has completed a form for PIP payments to replace his Disability Living Allowance and two ‘capability for work’ forms for Universal Credit to replace Employment and Support Allowance.

Kevin – who suffers from severe backache from his old artificial legs and type two diabetes – says the government ‘seems to have targeted disabled people’.

Revealing that his third form is due to be completed on Christmas Day, he said: ‘It feels vindictive. The questions are intrusive, very personal.

‘I was born like this – you’d think my details would be on the system.’

Kevin, who last worked 15 years ago, added: ‘It’s not like my arms and legs have grown.’

The DWP said the reassessments were part of the transition from DLA to PIP and those with life-long conditions would then only have ‘light-touch’ 10-year reviews.

A spokesman added: ‘Mr Don­nellon has been awarded ESA indefinitely following a recent reassessment, and the highest rate of PIP with a light-touch review in 10 years.’

Kevin’s case emerged after a Tory candidate was filmed telling a hustings event that people with learning disabilities should be paid less than minimum wage as ‘they don’t understand money’.