You can call me Ryan. It’s not my real name, but the DWP and my local Jobcentre in Cambridge know exactly who I am.
I remain anonymous because I don’t want to embarrass my family. There is a deep-seated shame that comes with relying on benefits—of having to beg the government for help, only to have them misrepresent your disability and deny your reality. It is humiliating and utterly exhausting.
Many people give up. Many suffer in silence. The system is designed to wear you down until you do.
This Isn't My First Fight
My struggle with the DWP began back in 2019 with a claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). As someone with Dyslexia and a stutter, I found it impossible to fill in their complex forms or spend hours on the phone. I needed to communicate via email.
They refused. To get the basic access I was legally entitled to, I had to write a 40-page formal discrimination complaint detailing their discriminatory practices. After a long battle, they finally gave in. I was awarded PIP in late 2020.
To add a layer of cruel irony, the official report that awarded me disability benefits also concluded that I scored zero points for the activity of "reading and understanding complex information". They clearly hadn't read the 40-page legal argument I wrote.
Like so many others who fight the system, that initial victory left me drained. When it came time to appeal a different part of their decision, I was simply too tired. I gave up. I cancelled it.
The Fight Today
Now, in 2025, I am forced to fight them all over again. As detailed on my Cambridge Jobcentre Plus Legal Case Page, the Cambridge Jobcentre is refusing to grant me the exact same reasonable adjustment for email communication that PIP conceded years ago. They are forcing me through the same demoralising process, hoping I will give up again.
But this time is different. This is why I am fighting, and this is why I am asking for your help.
I am going to fight because I have already lost so much, and have everything to gain.
My Request to You
This is my request. If you are able to, please consider donating to help fund my legal cases. If you can't, you can still help by sharing my story with your friends, family, and on social media.
Awareness is a powerful weapon. Thank you for your support.
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