Anger after benefit wrongly halved

Paul Shoosmith says the delay has made his health problems worse

A Nottinghamshire man whose benefit was wrongly halved has been paid the £1,500 he is owed.

Paul Shoosmith, from Edwalton, is unable to work after breaking his neck in a motorbike accident.

He is also a diabetic and is recovering from cancer.

Last year his £78 incapacity benefit was replaced with £43 income support after a doctor's incorrect assessment.

Investigation under way

Mr Shoosmith said his health had got worse as a result of the delays.

"There was clearly a mistake made at the medical - it's taken 10 months to resolve and it's left me with stress problems, I'm taking anti-depressants."

A cheque for his back payments was only sent, along with a brief apology, after the BBC intervened.

The Benefits Appeal Service says the process should take on average 13 weeks, but complex cases may take longer.

An investigation into why Mr Shoosmith's appeal took almost three times as long is now underway.