Video: Shropshire Olympic star’s benefits snub
Saturday 25th June 2011, 11:30AM BST.
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Shropshire Paralympics hero Debbie Brennan-Johnson has hit out at the benefits system after being refused income support “for not being British”.
Debbie Brennan with her Sydney 2000 Olympics gold and bronze medals
The 32-year-old, of Randlay, Telford, who won gold for Great Britain in the Paralympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004, said she felt insulted by the snub. The former Lord Silkin School pupil was told she would have to fill in a form at Telford Job Centre to prove her nationality.
The wheelchair athlete has returned home from Germany, where she had been living with her ex-husband for three years.
She said: “I’m absolutely fuming about the whole affair. To represent your country for so long and then be told you’re not registered as British is out of order.
“I’ve been living in Germany on an Army base with my ex-husband, so am still classed as a full British citizen. I’ve been given a form to fill out despite having been registered disabled for years and taking in all my identifying documents to the Job Centre.
“I need the benefits to settle back down in Telford and look after my little boy Jacob. It’s not the kind of return home I expected.”
She added: The whole system is broken. Even the girl I saw in the job centre – someone who I dealt with before I moved to Germany – said she couldn’t understand it, especially as I’m definitely still on the system for severe disability allowance.”
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “Everyone claiming income-related benefits when arriving or returning to the UK is required to show that they are habitually resident in this country and have a settled intention to remain. The test is applied irrespective of age or nationality.”
Ms Brennan-Johnson’s father, Keith, 59, said: “Debbie was born on a British Army base in Germany when I was in the forces. She has a British passport and has been classed as a British citizen all her life.”
EXCLUSIVE by Peter Finch
Deborah Brennan-Johnson and Keith Brennan, at home in Randlay.
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Another non-news story, has anyone considered that the paperwork submitted did not contain the required information to qualify the claimant for benefits?
Just because you represent a country in sports does not mean you qualify for anything and everything you may want.
What a society we live in where if you don’t get what you want your first port of call is the media.
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Today the Shropshire Star, tomorrow Midlands Today.
Although I wouldn’t wish it on anybody we need a tragedy to knock this garbage off the front page.
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seek ayslum you soon be looked after
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Oh dear Barry, you appear to have been reading The Sun a little too much.
If you had any grasp at all of facts, you would understand that asylum seekers are not entitled to benefits.
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“The former Lord Silkin School pupil was told she would have to fill in a form at Telford Job Centre to prove her nationality.”
So what’s wrong with that,is it too much to ask? Other people who haven’t been in the country for years would expect to be asked to verify themselves. I’m told she’s world famous in Shropshire.
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So Britsih people have to prove they are British now because they have lived abroad for a couple of years?
Yet foreign nationals can work in the UK and get child benefits for children who don’t even live in the UK, not to mention all the other foreign spoungers who have never paid a penny in tax get all kinds of benefits.
Something far wrong with Britain these days.
I hope I don’t ever have to come back to the UK to live.
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‘not to mention all the other foreign spoungers who have never paid a penny in tax get all kinds of benefits.’
Brian, simply put, they don’t.
Check some facts before posting next time, rather than relying on the nonsense that’s printed in moronic tabloids, or the ranting of racist so-called politicians.
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Seems fair enough to me. Makes a change from just doling out cash with no questions asked. This is how the system should work.
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I agree with OW about the media being the first port of call for when someone is not happy. It is a sad state of affiars unfortunately and I am sure it won’t be long before day time ads appear on TV advising people to contact the press if something happens they don’t like!
On top of that I don’t know what she is moaning about, there are clearly set criteria for claiming benefit otherwise any Tom, Dick or Harry living anywhere in the world would try and clain Income Support.
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you make a claim you fill the paperwork in – whats she got to moan about? she’s lived abroad for 3 years so what’s the problem – as has been said another total non story
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Not being funny, but why on earth is this story on the front page? In fact, why it even in the paper at all? Debbie isn’t being asked to do anything any different to what other people are asked to do.
Although I have respect for people who are disabled and wheelchair bound, and I am NOT making a sweeping generalisation; there is a small minority who want to be treated as everyone else is, and not be pigeonholed as a ‘disabled person,’ and yet when it suits them, and it’s convenient and useful for them; they will use it to their advantage to make people feel sorry for them, to try and get their own way. (Not ALL disabled folk of course… this is just a minority…)
*Why* has this lady’s story got on the front page? Does she or someone else think because she is disabled, that she should have preferential treatment? Because, as I said, I thought that most people who were disabled, did not want to be treated any different to anyone else…
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if you dont like it deb stop in germany
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Debbie who??
Get a job, pay tax, be like the rest of us, why do we owe you a living?
If you worked would you be prepared to pay for my hobby ?
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you are making a claim for Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit you will need to pass the ‘habitual residence test’. This is not a test of britishness, rather a test to see if you’re just passing through to claim benefits, having spent time outside of UK not paying anything into our NI fund. Don’t the Germans have a benefits system? Why come home just to claim benefits?
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She was not snubbed. She was asked to complete a form, same as everyone else.
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I agree with Stokesay, why should this lady be treated any differently from anybody else. If others have to prove that they meet the critera for Benefits then so should she. I suggest that she stops complaining, stop moaning and take any paperwork they want so you can make your application and if and when you do receive your Benefits then you can use the Shropshire Star to publicy thank those persons that have helped you get your Benefits.
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Agree with other comments…
Headline should read:
“government have cheek to check before starting to write welfare cheques”
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Whats the World coming to. Having to fill out a form in order to claim benefit….shocking..
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Despicable! Where’s the press when you need them?
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The comment from the DWP basically says it all in that the test is applied irrespective of age or nationality, why does she think she is exempt?
This has the whiff of one of those ‘don’t you know who I am?’ moments.
I think Stokey sums everything up in his last line.
Get back in the queue and wait your turn.
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Don’t you know who I am?
In a word ‘no’ and I’m not bothered, your personal life is of absolutely no interest to me and probably 99% of the population. Still I suppose it’ll be another proud newspaper cutting to go in the scrapbook.
Stop whining and do what the man says, provide proof,that is all is being asked.
If this was on the front page all I can say is my decision not to buy hard copies has paid off.
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Piers “That’s a No from me”
Amanda “and it’s a No from me too”
Simon “That’s three No’s, you failed on the sincerity for me, and that’s something about I only know too well (Gleaming Colgate Smile)”
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I think you are all missing the point. If she has already registered disabled in the past, then how, three years later has she stopped being British!? If they were happy to give her benifits because she was British three years ago, why do they need her to prove it again now? Nothing wrong with stringent testing, but foolish bureaucracy that costs us all time and money should be highlighted and ridiculed.
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Julian, I sense you are the one missing the point here, she has not been asked to prove she is still British.
“Everyone claiming income-related benefits when arriving or returning to the UK is required to show that they are habitually resident in this country and have a settled intention to remain. The test is applied irrespective of age or nationality.”
What is simpler than that?
Perhaps she should be putting herself forward for the 2012 Games, she stands a really good chance in the teddy-throwing event.
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I see your point. However, the first line says that she was refused for “not being British”. And in the first paragraph it says she had to fill in a form to prove her nationality. She is then quoted as saying she was told that she is not registered as British.
Either she has got the wrong end of the stick, or the quote from the spokesperson is irrelevant to her grumble.
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Debbie has done a lot for disabled youngsters in shropshire and is continueing this on her return
Both her and her father have done a lot of unpaid work supporting a wide range of disabilities
Although she may be claiming benefits she is putting a lot of unpaid work supporting young disabled
how many other claimants are doing this?
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That is commendable but the story is about her whinging that she has to complete the appropriate paperwork that everybody else has to and then tries to use her own celebrity in an effort to influence the handling of the matter.
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