Disabled man fights for benefits

5.48.28pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 9th Jul 2007

A severely disabled man has been told he must move his girlfriend out of his home in order to receive benefits, because of money she previously had. Stephen Hook, 50, from Barming in Kent, was left unable to work after injuring his back when he was a hospital porter, and has claimed benefits for 15 years. But the Department for Work and Pensions stopped them because his partner had money from her house sale. It said they would be restored if she moved out and he used a state carer.

Lorna Hunte has been caring for Mr Hook since March 2005, but said she spent the £47,500 proceeds from the sale of her house before moving in with him. "She's been not only my partner, she's been my carer, looking after my child and myself. Without Lorna we would have to have a state carer and the dignity would be all gone from that," he said.

But officials deemed the money she had was part of her resources, and said as she was part of Mr Hook's family unit, he therefore no longer qualified for benefits.

"I thought the money was my money," Ms Hunte said.

The couple took their case to the High Court but it was dismissed, with the judge saying money dissipated even before co-habitation commences could be taken into account when assessing benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions has declined to comment on the case. But the couple's solicitor, Kevin Harper, said the "cheapest option to the public purse" would be to keep the couple together, and to pay their rent.

Mr Hook is now thousands of pounds behind on his housing association rent and is facing imminent eviction himself. His case is due before a court in Maidstone on 27 July. "It looks like we're going to be put out on the streets... we have no money," he said.