Disabled man born with 17 holes in his heart who had five operations denied benefits for months and told to get a job after moving on to Universal Credit
A DISABLED man born with 17 holes in his heart has been denied benefits and told to start looking for a job.
Samuel Moore, 24, who has undergone five operations for his condition and wasn't expected to live longer than three weeks, was repeatedly rejected for Personal Independence Payments.
But Sam - who had his first operation to try and repair parts of his heart at just six months old, says he's a 24-year-old trapped in an 80-year-old's body.
He desperately doesn't want to rely on state hand-outs but can’t walk more than 100 metres without getting out of breath, and gets dizzy spells and heart palpitations too.
But officials slashed his benefits after he swapped onto Universal Credit and had a fresh assessment, and said he wasn't ill enough to get them. He's getting just £295 a month at the moment.
Sam, who lives with his gran in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, told The Sun Online: "They said 'you can read a computer screen so there's nothing wrong with you'."
Sam, who studied animal care at college but had to drop out due to his poor health, even desperately tried to give work a go but only lasted five days before he was forced to quit.
"I wasn't supposed to make it past three weeks old," Sam added.
"I was born with 17 holes in my heart. They christened me at three days old because they thought I wasn't going to make it.
"The teachers at school told me I'd never get anywhere, I just wanted to be like everyone else.
"It's never going to be totally repaired, all they can do is keep replacing my heart valves.
ALL CHANGE What is Universal Credit, who is eligible in the UK, how can you claim it and what changes have been made to the benefits system?
"I'm 24 but I'm in an 80-year-old's body.
"I provided all this medical information to them, but they told me I had to start looking for work."
Sam worries about what he'll do when his gran, who has bowel cancer, isn't around any more and he has to provide for himself.
He's already started saving any money he can for when that happens.
He went on: "My doctor was fuming and disgusted, he said I never should have been taken off it and I genuinely shouldn't be working.
"He's been giving me sick notes, I was told I was indefinitely on it.
"But then after an assessment they said I had scored zero.
"They stopped chunks of my benefits for no apparent reason."
Sam, who is forced to take drugs daily to thin his blood and treat his heart conditions, appealed and was rejected again.
If he were to get Personal Independence Payments (PIP) he would be eligible to get another £229.20 per month, or £342.40 if he were on an enhanced rate.
Universal Credit is gradually replacing Employment and Support Allowance and is the main benefit to claim if someone is out of work due to sickness or a disability.
It is part of Government reforms to replace six benefits with one payment.
But the rollout has been beset with issues - with thousands said to have been driven to food banks as a result of waits, and claims that they are fuelling domestic violence cases.
PIP can also be claimed on top, but is usually for a fixed amount of time, and can be reviewed by the Department for Work and Pensions at any time.
MOST READ IN POLITICS
Reports from Sam's cardiologist, seen by The Sun, says that Sam's underlying conditions “significantly limit” his everyday life.
They wrote: “There is no doubt that Sam’s underlying condition, the surgeries that he has had, and the residual issues that we see will cause will cause him significant exercise limitation.
“Sam has applied for a Personal Independence Payment, but I am told he has been rejected for this.
“I have strongly encouraged Sam to apply again as in my view, he is significantly limited by his cardiac condition.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “We’re committed to ensuring that people get the support they’re entitled to.
"Anyone who is unhappy with the outcome of a WCA or PIP assessment has a right to appeal.
"In the majority of successful appeals, decisions are overturned because people have submitted more oral or written evidence."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online politics team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours