Changes to the benefits system are forcing those in greatest need of aid to suffer, a charity has warned.{jcomments on}

More than half of people who have multiple sclerosis say they have suffered from anxiety over the changes, which has in turn led to ill health, MS Society said.

And 67 per cent said they felt more anxious about how they will manage their condition in the future because of the reforms, according to a poll of 1,500 people with the condition.

The new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has contributed to the anxieties, the charity said.

The criteria for the highest rates of the new PIP are “so tight” that some disabled people could be left trapped in their homes because they could lose access to vital mobility equipment, a spokeswoman said.

And under the Employment Support Allowance, “thousands” of people with MS and other degenerative health conditions were incorrectly told that they're fit for work, or that they will 'recover' enough to work again, she added.

Read the full story on The Independent website

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