One Legged Man Accused Of Lying

By Jeff Deminski

This story is from the UK, but is so stupid, I'm surprised it's not from here in New Jersey. Essentially, authorities accused a one legged lorry driver (truck driver here) of trying to cheat the benefits system because they were focusing on his good leg.

He had a serious toe injury in the good leg but made a full recovery. Then, the Department of Work and Pensions decided he was trying to claim a disability for the leg he still had, not the leg he eventually didn't.

63 year old Robert Punter explains his story. From Metro,

‘This whole business has been a nightmare. I have been taken to court and accused of swinging the lead when the truth was the opposite,’ Mr Punter said.

‘I suffered a very serious injury to my left leg in a shotgun accident when I was 12. At one stage it was touch and go whether I would survive.

‘I never used it as an excuse not to work. I started in the old Leathercraft factory in Newton Abbot when I was 15 and then drove dumpers and tippers on building sites until I passed my HGV and became a lorry driver.

‘I did that for 40 years until I suffered arthritis in my right foot which led eventually to me having an operation to fuse my toe.

‘It was while I was in hospital I met someone from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau who told me I was entitled to disability allowance even though I was planning to go back to work.

‘After I was called in for interview and told I would be prosecuted my wife took photos of my left leg and sent them to the DWP but it made no difference.

‘At the same time as this case was going through the system I was in a lot of pain from the left leg and went back to hospital where Mr Loxdale told me I had degenerative bone disease and would need an amputation.’