An anonymous good Samaritan has stepped up to replace the mobility scooter taken from a Bowthorpe man following a PIP assessment.

After Richard Green was diagnosed with T cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1996, he 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.

As a result of taking experimental medication methotrexate in 1997, Mr Green contracted cirrhosis of the liver, and was put into a coma for 18 months in 2013 as he received a transplant.

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A combination of nerve damage, graft vs host disease and a femoral neck fracture after a fall means the 53-year-old 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.

Now, a donor has stepped up to give Mr Green £500 to buy a second-hand scooter while he waits for a court date for his appeal.

'I was overwhelmed about it,' he said. 'It has put my faith back in humanity. I had lost it in the last few months and thought this world is getting worse and worse. 'It is nice to know someone does actually care.

'It is a shame that this country has got to the point where people who need the help the most aren't getting it and the people who don't need it seem to get it. The money was never important to me, it was the fact I am a prisoner in here.'

Mr Green's mobility allowance has also been slashed from £53 to £26 a week, and he has lost his £87 carer's allowance.

'That scooter was my independence,' he said. 'Without it I can't go and get my food shopping, go down the cafe or get involved in any activities.

'I can't move from this room unless someone is around. I thought a life award meant life. Obviously not.'

A DWP spokesperson said: 'Decisions for PIP are made following consideration of all the information provided by the claimant, including supporting evidence from their GP or medical specialist.

'Anyone who disagrees with a decision can appeal and most people leaving the Motability Scheme are eligible for a one-off payment of up to £2,000 to help meet their needs.'