Army veteran said dealings with the DWP is like ‘banging his head against brick wall’
22:10, 16 May 2025Updated 22:10, 16 May 2025
Kevin Haines from Kirkby(Image: Liverpool Echo)
An Army veteran said he feels ‘sick and depressed’ after trying to get answers from the DWP over his benefit claim.
Kevin Haines, 53, served his country and later worked as an industrial cleaner before being struck down with a chronic kidney disorder, eight years ago.
Kevin said his illness means he is now awaiting a kidney transplant and undergoes dialysis three times per week. The impact on Kevin’s physical health is severe and said the added treatment schedule means he is unable to work.
Despite this, Kevin claims the DWP are sitting on his application for Limited Capability for Work and Work-related Activity (LCWRA) benefit – depriving him of much-needed financial support and means he is regularly contacted for back to work interviews.
Asked to describe the impact of his illness, Kevin said: “My life has changed dramatically. I used to be so outgoing and enjoyed a good laugh, but all that’s finished and I’m mostly just stuck in the house now.
“I had a good job which I enjoyed, but I had to pack it in.”
Kevin, from Kirkby, submitted his application for LCWRA about eight months ago, but said he has heard nothing back despite numerous phone calls and follow up enquiries, “I just feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall and having to fight tooth and nail just for a few extra quid to be able to survive.”
Kevin Haines from Kirkby undergoes dialysis three times a week(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Kevin is in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), but his current entitlement means he often struggles to make ends meet. Kevin said he’s had to draw on support from the Royal British Legion to help him out with food and other essentials and barely has enough money to pay the bills.
The Liverpool ECHO understands the department for processing LCWRA applications has no prescriptive timeline for referrals outcomes. Therefore, the application process for LCWRA seems open ended to Kevin who said he’s been waiting for an updated assessment since 2020.
He said he understands covid caused delays and a backlog, but believes this should have already been resolved and struggles to understand the delays, adding: “When you think what I go through each week it should be a very easy thing for them to get sorted.
“But they don’t write back, they don’t call back and I don’t seem to get any answers.”
To qualify for LCWRA, a claimant has to undergo a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) that considers a person’s ability to work and participate in work-related activities. They will also need to score 15 points on at least one indicator within the WCA to be considered for LCWRA.
DWP guidance states that LCWRA will only be awarded to those with health problems severe enough that there’s no current prospect of them working.
Despite Kevin’s chronic kidney disorder, his need for a transplanted kidney and his thrice-weekly dialysis treatments, it is unclear whether the DWP consider him able to work under the current criteria.
Kevin added: “I didn’t ask for this illness, no one would. I want to work, but I am not a well man.
“The stress of dealing with the DWP is making me sick and it’s just depressing to be honest.”