A WOMAN whose husband suffers with severe mental health problems has criticised the Government’s new system for disability funding support.

Jennifer Barton, 58, of Highworth, looks after her husband, 52-year-old Michael, who has struggled with paranoid schizophrenia for much of his life.

Michael was in receipt of disability living allowance payments from the Government for 20 years — as Jennifer is unable to work due to Michael’s condition, the financial support was vital for the couple.

But in 2013, the Government introduced a new form of support for the disabled in the form of ‘personal independence payments’ and a recent assessment ruled that Michael did not qualify.

“I don’t understand it,” said Jennifer. “He doesn’t go out on his own, he doesn’t cook for himself, he is mentally incapacitated and totally reliant on me.

“The assessors are not medically trained and some of the questions used on the assessment weren’t even asked.

“It feels like it is a physical assessment not looking for mental health problems - he has years of history of this illness.

“I don’t know what we will do now, this decision has hit us really hard.”

Jennifer has been through the first stage of the internal review process following the refusal but the decision did not change.

She must now make an appeal which will be independently reviewed but she says the system leaves her little hope of being successful.

But Jennifer’s MP, Justin Tomlinson, has sought to offer some reassurance around the new system.

He said: “Since the government replaced DLA with PIP, we’re now spending an extra £3bn a year supporting people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.

“The PIP process is more thorough, it provides a lot more assistance. It has assessors who can help tease out those challenges that people face.

“The reality is that under DLA, 16 per cent of claimants accessed the highest rate of benefits. Under PIP it is 23.5 per cent.

“Particularly for hidden impairments, predominately mental health conditions, there has been a staggering improvement.

“With 1.5m claims there can be mistakes – that is why there are two parts to the process.

“More often than not the successful appeals come about because medical evidence hadn’t been submitted.

“Some 65 per cent of appeals are successful, not because the original decision was wrong but because when additional evidence was presented they are able to have a fresh look at it and make a different decision.”

Mr Tomlinson has pledged to offer whatever assistance he can as Jennifer and Michael move forward with the appeals process.