DWP apologises for telling seriously ill man to find a job

Seriously ill, emaciated man who was denied benefits by DWP dies.
Stephen Smith’s case sparked outrage after his benefits were cut and he was told to find a job.

A friend of Smith confirmed to the Guardian that he had died last Monday and that his family had asked for privacy. One friend, quoted by the Liverpool Echo, said Smith had never recovered from pneumonia. “He was a good soul of the earth. He would do anything for anyone,” they added.

News of Smith’s death prompted renewed anger over his treatment. Within hours, nearly 300 people had taken to the local newspaper’s social media pages to express their disgust. One said it was “absolutely heartbreaking” and added: “RIP poor poor man, you should never [have] been put through this.”

Full article:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/apr/21/stephen-smith-liverpool-seriously-ill-emaciated-man-denied-benefits-dwp-dies

This man had to fight for benefits just before he died – when do we start to care?

Stephen Smith’s struggle exposed the cruelty of the benefits system. Now he is dead, but the system goes on.

On Sunday night, news broke that Smith had died. I found myself crying when I heard of his death, which is probably strange considering I had never met him. But then, I am not sure what other reaction to have at this point. The details are not yet known and it’s clear he was struggling with numerous health problems. But what we do know is that Smith spent some of the last months of his life fighting to regain the benefits he needed to live on, and that he was put under incredible strain while severely ill by a government he trusted to support him in his time of need.

Full article:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/22/stephen-smith-benefits-system-dying

Warnings about dying Stephen Smith that were cruelly ignored by the DWP
Shocking notes from different medics show just how ill Liverpool man was when he was denied benefits in the lead-up to his death
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/stephen-smith-warning-doctors-dwp-16185418