A MAN suffering from a debilitating illness has been left without any money after his benefits were cut by the job centre.

Arron Smailes, 28, of Ferryhill, suffers from Ankylosing spondylitis which causes the right side of his body to swell up very badly on occasions.

Mr Smailes, of Surtees Terrace, is so ill that some days he cannot get out of bed.

He was forced to give up his job as a night porter at the Bay Eden Arms Hotel, in Rushyford, near to Newton Aycliffe, in November due to the illness.

He claimed £144 employment and support allowance a fortnight from November until March.

Then Mr Smailes was asked to attend a medical assessment by the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP).

The DWP decided he was fit to work and stopped his benefit in March and instead told him to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Mr Smailes feels this means he will have to attend job interviews which he says his illness will not allow him to do. So he has not claimed it and has no money coming in.

He said: “I was diagnosed two years ago and I take strong tablets, like Tramadol, for it and I have an injection once a month.

“The right hand side of my body swells up like the Elephant Man. I have worked all of my life but I had to leave the Eden Arms due to medical rounds last November.

“The assessors do not see me day to day and sometimes I don’t get out of the house. I’ll have this for the rest of my life.

“How do they expect me to go to work when some days I can’t get out of bed. It’s an absolute joke.”

Mr Smailes is to speak to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau about the DWP ruling and plans to appeal it.

Durham County Council still pays Mr Smailes’ housing benefit straight to his landlord and family have rallied round to help.

A DWP spokesman said additional information could be submitted at appeal.

She said: “Anyone has the right to appeal.

“A decision on whether someone is well enough to work is taken following a thorough independent assessment, and after consideration of all the supporting medical evidence.”