A man who lost his mobility scooter after an unsuccessful PIP assessment has labelled the fact more than 50,000 people have had their transport taken away as 'outrageous'.

Richard Green, who now lives in Bowthorpe Care Village, had his mobility scooter taken away - and his benefit cut - after a PIP assessment which he disputes.

Now it has emerged more than 50,000 people have been thrown into the same position, in figures released by the Motability charity which provides the vehicles under the Personal Independent Payment system (PIP).

Diagnosed with T cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1996, Mr Green underwent nine hours of surgery to remove a brain tumour. Doctors at the time told him they would never be able to say he was in remission, so he was given a life award for mobility.

A combination of nerve damage, graft vs host disease and a femoral neck fracture after a fall means Mr Green cannot walk unaided and can only travel two metres with use of a frame.

But with the introduction of Personal Independence Payments (PIP), Mr Green was forced to attend an assessment last October, which deemed he could walk 20 metres and his mobility scooter was taken away. After hearing his story a member of the public donated him money for a new scooter.

'It had a huge impact on my life,' he said. 'That was my freedom they took away from me.

'I think it is outrageous and it is all because of PIP. For me it wasn't a medically trained person in my assessment for my medical needs - and they lied.

'It was very distressful, because of them taking my scooter away but also because of the money I lost - over £330 a week. I have to live in a flat and buy my own shopping, and there is no way I could get down the stairs if it wasn't for my daughters - I would have starved to death. My £21.80 a week would not even cover my lunch every day. They left me in a position where I could have starved to death.'

A DWP spokeswoman said: 'The reality is that, since PIP was introduced in 2013, more than two million decisions have been made; of these just 7pc have been appealed and 3pc have been overturned.

'But we constantly review our processes, to make sure they are working in the best way possible.

'Most people leaving the Motability scheme are eligible for a one-off payment of £2,000 to meet their needs.'