An obese St Leonards woman says she can no longer afford to diet after being told her giant 22-stone frame no longer qualifies her for disability allowance.htp Dave
Laura Ripley, of Stonehouse Drive, has battled to lose weight for years after ballooning to 38 stone back in 2005, with the help of more than £8,000 of NHS treatment.
She lost 16 stone by going to the gym twice a week, eating healthily and having a costly operation to have her stomach stapled.
She even managed to compete in the Race for Life in Alexandra Park last year.
In fact, such was her progress, the huge Take That fan was told she was no longer classified as disabled and that her £340 disability allowance would be cut.
Now though the 25-year-old is saying that decision will cause her to pile the pounds back on because she can no longer afford to eat as much healthy food or pay her gym membership.
This despite the fact that her and her boyfriend still receive around £600 a month in hand outs and live in a flat which boasts Sky TV.
Speaking to the Observer this week, Miss Ripley said: "I used the £340 to buy healthier food and paid to go to Falaise Gym twice a week. If I had the money I'd love to carry on going but I've had to cancel my gym membership.
"My money was cut because I've lost a lot of weight but I'm still not fit enough to work.
"I cannot do much because of my obesity and I also suffer from depression and anxiety.
"I have put on a bit of weight since the benefit was stopped. I do eat crisps and chocolate but what person doesn't when they are depressed?"
Miss Ripley, who lives with her 28-year-old boyfriend Simon Hawkins - an unemployed chef who moved to St Leonards from Manchester after the pair met in internet chat room - was pilloried last week in the national press and labelled a fat scrounger.
However, these are claims she disputes and is adamant she has been misrepresented."I only eat junk food when I am down but still eat a lot of healthier food." said Miss Ripley, "I usually eat Bran Flakes or museli for breakfast, stay clear of bread all together because it bloats me, and eat fruit, vegetables and crispbread for lunch.
"I'm sick of people thinking of me in a bad light and I want to prove them all wrong. I've lost so much weight and simply would not just stuff myself again. I limit myself to 1,200 calories a day.
"We try to eat as healthily as we can on our limited budget. We use a shop in town that sells food slightly out-of-date because it is cheaper."
Miss Ripley, who wants to become a fitness instructor, said between her and Simon they live off £600 a month in benefits. This is made up of £400 incapacity benefit and £200 income support.
The money is used to pay £70 towards the monthly rent on their two-bedroom flat, electricity, water supply and food.
Her love affair with junk food began when she was 12. Back then she already weighed 15 stone and was bullied relentlessly. She says cruel classmates dubbed her Mrs Blobby and that she was often kicked - resulting in a life-long struggle with depression.
However, Miss Ripley - who plans on appealing against the decision to cut her benefits - says she will not give up on her dream of being thin.
She said defiantly: "If all goes well I should be able to have a full gastric bypass operation in a few months time.
"I am not giving up as it is my dream to get into a pair of size 12 jeans."
31 Jul 2009
22 stone woman deplores benefit cut
This is outside the title of the blog, in that there is no allegation of fraud. But it shows an attitude to 'welfare' which is dangerous to society ... these payments don't come from the sky, we pay for them from our taxes ... money we might prefer to keep.
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2 comments:
Um, I'd say that an element of fraud - morally - is involved here.
Such a person may very well have contrived to have 'eating disorders' or 'panic attacks' which sympathetic doctors may well have sanctified as 'depression and anxiety' and which might merit Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance care and certainly at her former size at the mobility rate, too.
In fact what she has chosen to do is to refrain from keeping her snack-filled hands below her mouth and so a Pringles attitude has put her on the gravy train for life.
Thus the medical profession abolishes free will and entrenches helplessness as a disease rather than a moral failing and bingo! Her obvious unwillingness to order her life and to, for example, cut down on the fatty snacks and keep the gym subscription [ on the dole yet!] is what almost any other era would call a conscious choice or decision.
There's the multiple fraud of self-deception here:
She's kidding herself that she can't help it, the doctors who ok'd her self-destructive eating as 'disability,' and the politicians who think it can carry on like this indefinitely.
I wouldn't say that this is a case of fraud. The lady obviously has a weight problem, and from reading this it looks as though the lady has self esteem and confidence issues. A few health tips for her would be to eat fruit for energy, sip water instead of any coffees or soft drinks, just go to the gym once a week and do short walks twice a day.
If the lady already got down from 35 stone to 22 stone then she has done really well, and all that's needed is to keep energy up by eating apples, bananas and oranges- keep up the exercise until the weight comes down rapidly. Some people who are mildly overweight go on a starvation diet, and end up depressed physically and then mentally, and become underweight. It takes a long time to put weight back on. I was 15 stone at 185cm until I got to 18, then I dropped to 13 and a half stone through my 20's. I felt I was too light and tried for 3 years solid in my late 20's to put the weight back on, building my muscle mass up through good exercise, no fast foods, no soft drinks,and I now weigh in at 16 stone aged 37- a good weight for my height, I still look relatively slim compared with a 16 stoner who does no exercise.
Muscle can be shaped and toned, and a person of my height weighing 16 stone won't look that big. A medical examiner said I had an average build.
Body fat does not become shaped and defined, it just looks saggy.
You have to look at your food intake and sometimes do less gym work, because working out will build up your appetite and you'll load on the pounds quicker than you realize. I have to watch what I eat, how much I exercise and not get lazy. I mainly go for short walks these days, I don't go to gyms and never have done, and so I've slowly built my muscle up over the years.
I have a disc prolapse, oesteoarthritis and have other medical issues which entitles me to ESA (Employment Support Allowance), not disability. Perhaps more people should apply for ESA and just be happy with that. Disability is more difficult to obtain so I have heard, and the DWP are not going to hand out disability unless you have long established medical issues. Mine date back nearly ten years, diagnosed by hospital scans in 2002 and 2010, so I have evidence that I have an issue. I'm in a lot of pain from day to day, and I definately won't be entering any marathon...
Having said this, the DWP are looking to cut me off ESA, and if they do then I will at least apply for disability, and if I will have to get legal advice...
To get ESA you have to pass an assessment for the DWP, and they look at what work you can do. I don't go out much, I'm mainly reclusive (admittedly), but it's something that I've always been like, and the DWP cannot force me to go out in public because I really do get anxious and panicky- and no employer wants someone with a disc prolapse who cannot stand or sit still for long periods, and who gets overly anxious when away from home for more than a couple of hours...
To get Jobseeker's Allowance you have to be 'fit' for work, and I would say the lady, being 22 stone is not very fit for work. But she must at least qualify for ESA, and many others who have a medical problem. Be it physical or mental you will have to 'satisfy' the DWP who give you 'points' for physical problems & mental issues- but it is so difficult to pass the assessment because you will need 15 points to get ESA. I haven't applied for disability so I don't know the requirements.
Hope this helps someone...
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