Nineteen year old Elgin lad Kyle Stewart lives in constant agony since he was horrifically burned in a caravan park accident, when a faulty gas cylinder exploded.
Kyle can barely walk or talk, and is unable to feed, dress or bathe himself and getting in and out of bed is particularly excruciating because his arms have been so badly burned and are now just skin and bone. He has had 10 skin grafts since the accident in July. (Can you imagine trying to help someone up when their arms are so horrifically burned?)
His mum wanted to buy him an electrically adjustable bed which would raise him up and let him back down again. So Mrs Stewart applied for a community care grant from the Dept of Work and Pensions so that she could continue to look after him at home, instead of him being in hospital, where they have this kind of bed. (It’s worth remembering that keeping a person in hospital must cost more than £500 a week, at the same time as it causes inconvenience for the family, even more distress for the patient and blocks a bed that could be used for an acute patient.)
So, remembering all that, and that we are all in this together, and that we all have to pull together in these hard times, the Dept of Work and Pensions said NO.
The Press and Journal reported Mrs Stewart and Kyle’s plight and fortunately, within a few hours, someone came up trumps. Highland builder William MacKenzie came forward and donated the £1250 required for a bed for Kyle. Mr MacKenzie, who has a son himself, said that Kyle’s story touched his heart. He reckoned that money was only money; he couldn’t take it with him and you never got anywhere in life through being greedy.
Mr MacKenzie said that what really got him was that the DWP had refused the lad the money.
It gets me too. In the same week as we read this we hear that over half a million pounds had been overpaid in Council Tax Benefit in Dundee in the last 6 months. (Council Tax Benefit is administered by local authorities but paid by the DWP.)
There is no rhyme or reason to the decisions these government departments make, and no explanation was given by the DWP.
It is, however, don’t you think, a great pity that there are not considerably fewer people like the management of the DWP, and a great deal more people like Mr William MacKenzie in the world?
Kyle can barely walk or talk, and is unable to feed, dress or bathe himself and getting in and out of bed is particularly excruciating because his arms have been so badly burned and are now just skin and bone. He has had 10 skin grafts since the accident in July. (Can you imagine trying to help someone up when their arms are so horrifically burned?)
His mum wanted to buy him an electrically adjustable bed which would raise him up and let him back down again. So Mrs Stewart applied for a community care grant from the Dept of Work and Pensions so that she could continue to look after him at home, instead of him being in hospital, where they have this kind of bed. (It’s worth remembering that keeping a person in hospital must cost more than £500 a week, at the same time as it causes inconvenience for the family, even more distress for the patient and blocks a bed that could be used for an acute patient.)
So, remembering all that, and that we are all in this together, and that we all have to pull together in these hard times, the Dept of Work and Pensions said NO.
The Press and Journal reported Mrs Stewart and Kyle’s plight and fortunately, within a few hours, someone came up trumps. Highland builder William MacKenzie came forward and donated the £1250 required for a bed for Kyle. Mr MacKenzie, who has a son himself, said that Kyle’s story touched his heart. He reckoned that money was only money; he couldn’t take it with him and you never got anywhere in life through being greedy.
Mr MacKenzie said that what really got him was that the DWP had refused the lad the money.
It gets me too. In the same week as we read this we hear that over half a million pounds had been overpaid in Council Tax Benefit in Dundee in the last 6 months. (Council Tax Benefit is administered by local authorities but paid by the DWP.)
There is no rhyme or reason to the decisions these government departments make, and no explanation was given by the DWP.
It is, however, don’t you think, a great pity that there are not considerably fewer people like the management of the DWP, and a great deal more people like Mr William MacKenzie in the world?
Pic: Kyle before the accident. Now he is covered in bandages.
