Liverpool parade crash left me with life-changing spine damage – but government says I’m not injured enough to claim PIP
A former soldier who suffered life-changing injuries while trying to protect his family from a car that deliberately crashed into a crowd during the victory parade attack in Liverpool has been refused personal independence payment (PIP).
Dan Eveson suffered a torn trapezius muscle in his neck and back, a broken sternum and three cracked ribs when he crashed into the Ford Galaxy driven by Paul Doyle while trying to get his partner Sheree Aldridge and their five-month-old baby Teddy out of the way of danger.
Teddy miraculously survived unhurt, although the pram was thrown 15 ft down the road; Ms. Aldridge was hospitalized for weeks with a leg wound that she still suffers from today.
Mr Eveson, 37, had to give up his job as a factory worker due to back pain caused by his injuries and applied for PIP in February because he was unable to stand for more than 30 minutes and carry out many daily tasks independently in the family home.
He touched on the trauma caused by the accident, as well as the ankle injury that led to the former soldier’s discharge from the Royal Military Police.
But this month, just weeks before the first anniversary of the Liverpool attack, Mr Eveson received a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions saying he had failed to reach the points required for his application to be approved.
The guidelines state that eligibility is for people with long-term physical or mental conditions who have difficulty performing daily tasks.
“I felt that he was disgusted with me,” Mr. Eveson said. Independent From the family home in Cannock, Staffordshire. “Like so many others, my life changed completely the day of the parade crash in Liverpool. I went through hell, from working and enjoying family life to now being stuck at home and relying on food banks to survive.
“I’ve worked hard since I was 16, and when I did I worked 12-hour shifts, often at night. Being unemployed destroyed me as a man. What more do I need to do to get some support so I can get back on my feet?”
Mr Eveson already receives general credit from Ms Aldridge, 38; this loan costs them around £1,600 a month; This goes towards their £850 housing association rent and looking after their six children, including Teddy.
Earlier this year the couple were forced to downsize their car by canceling a car finance payment plan they could no longer afford.
Like dozens of victims hit by Doyle’s car last year, the pair suffered mentally.
Mr Eveson has been on the waiting list for physiotherapy on the NHS since March. He also said he had only received two counseling sessions but was still struggling with memories of the accident.
The terrifying chain of events for the family began when Mr Eveson saw the car speeding up behind them. He told his partner “we are going to die” and then tried to stop him by pushing against the front of the car with all his strength.
Meanwhile, while Mrs. Aldridge was thrown onto the hood, the stroller containing Teddy was thrown onto the road. Mr Eveson ran after the stroller and luckily saw that his children were uninjured.
“It was like a war zone where I was fighting for my family, not my country,” Mr. Eveson said. “Those hellish moments never leave you and I’ve faced an uphill battle to get over what’s going on in my head. It’s not just the bad dreams, it’s the flashbacks and anger I feel about what happened on what should have been a celebratory day.”
“With everything that’s happened and the challenges we’ve faced, I was hoping we could get some more help through PIP. Just to help us stop using the food bank, get support for my recovery, and eventually get back to work.”
Ms Aldridge, 37, has a temporary employment contract but said there was no long-term security and PIP could help her partner look after Teddy at home.
The PIP assessment, requested by nearly 4 million people in England and Wales, has long been criticized by campaigners for being difficult and inconsistent. Independent last year.
“It feels like we’re not getting enough support,” Ms. Aldridge said. “Given what we went through before, Dan being ex-military and due to the accident, not working, he still gets almost nothing because his back is completely cumbersome.
“He never wanted to stop working. I remember the day he had to stop working, he cried to me on the phone. He wasn’t bringing in money anymore, he didn’t feel like he was supporting the family, and as a result we really struggled in our relationship.”
Doyle is serving a prison sentence of 21 years and six months after pleading guilty to 17 charges related to driving that injured 134 people on May 26.
A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions, which oversees PIP payments, said: “PIP is awarded based on how a situation affects a person’s day-to-day needs. Customers who disagree with a decision can request a mandatory reconsideration or appeal.”
