DWP strips disability allowance from soldier who lost a leg in Afghanistan

Former Private Aron Shelton had his left leg amputated in December 2008 after he was injured in an explosion in Helmand Province a year earlier.

Later he was told he would no longer be entitled to his 185 a month disability allowance not dis disability badge.

After being told by letter he could have a new allowance of just 18, he said: "I know they're penny pinching at the moment, but we all know there are jobless scroungers out there who spend their lives on benefits, yet the government is taking money off injured soldiers."

Mr Shelton, who may now take his case to the European Court of Human Rights, learned to walk a few hundred metres with the aid of a prosthetic limb after an 18-month struggle but he says now he feels he is entering another battlefield as he attempts to get his full allowance reinstated.

His injuries were so severe it took him half a year before he could take a single step unaided, though he is now able to walk up to 400 metres.

The DWP told him he was no longer entitled to the disability allowance to fund his automatic Vauxhall Astra, which he relies on to get around. He has however been told he can keep the vehicle for the next six months.

He said: "I lost my leg for a reason, I didn't lose it in an everyday accident or by messing around, I lost it fighting for the British Army and I would expect that the British government would look after me because of it."

He said without the 185 disability benefit, he cannot afford to run his car which he describes as a lifeline.

The motability scheme which provides the car have told him that he will be able to keep the vehicle for the next six months while he appeals the decision, but because he is no longer graded as having a high level of disability, his blue disabled badge will not be renewed.

He is now taking his case to an independent tribunal to fight the decision and says that he will take his case to the European Court of Human Rights if his appeal is unsuccessful.

He is keen to contact injured ex-servicemen and women around the country who have found themselves in a similar situation and is determined to start a national campaign to draw more attention to the plight of injured soldiers like himself.

He said: "I bet I'm not the only person this has happened to and I would like to get all us amputees together and lobby the government. This just isn't right and it's up to us to do something about it."

A spokesperson from the Department For Work And Pensions (DWP) said: "We recognise the brave service Aron Shelton has given his country. His case has been reviewed, but we must follow the guidelines set out in legislation - a benefit award is not discretionary.

DLA is not the only support that may be available to injured personnel. All personnel injured in service are entitled to payments under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme."