Tracy Gaskin, 41, of Leceistershire, England, has been shocked to receive a letter from Job Centre Officials addressed to his husband Nick Gaskin, 46. It stated that there will be a mandatory "back to work" job interview for him to keep on receiving his benefits, as reported by Daily Mail.
Yet Mr. Gaskin has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis since 1999 and needs a 24-hour assistance from his wife. He can only communicate by blinking his eyes since he can neither talk or walk.
Mrs. Gaskin thought that there was a huge misunderstanding upon reading the letter. She tried contacting the job centre and explained how it was not possible for her husband to attend such an interview. "You and your personal adviser will discuss the possibility of going into paid work, training for work, or looking for work in the future, " it says in the letter as quoted by The Independent.
The job centre contact person only replied that a telephone interview can be arranged for Mr. Gaskin should he not be able to attend in person. This frustrated Mrs. Gaskin as she thought her explaination about her husband's MS condition was not understood well.
Upon the knowledge of the Department for Work and Pensions, a spokesperson later apologized to the couple for having received such a letter. They are now trying to investigate the matter and concluded that this was only an accident. The letter was not supposed to be for disabled people like Mr. Gaskin.
The director of policy and reasearch at the MS Society, Nick Rijke, stated that this story is apalling and that the system is not fit according to purpose. "We're glad to hear the DWP is going to be apologising to Mr. Gaskin but people should simply not be put into a position like this. The individual circumstances of those living with conditions such as multiple sclerosis must be taken into account so they are treated like people, and not just another case to be dealt with.", Mr. Rijke stated.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition wherein the immune system of a person attacks the protective covering of the nerves. This will result to miscommunications between the brain and the body, affecting the motor skills of the patient. As time goes on, the nerves themselves deteriorate and this process is considered to be irreversible. There is currently no known cure but only treatments that can help a person recover faster after a period of attack and manage other symptoms better.
