Clerical sex abuse survivor wins case for state benefits

A survivor of clerical child sex abuse in Northern Ireland has won her case for state benefits.

Kate Walmsley has been left with a series of health complaints and lingering trauma.

She met officials from the Social Security Agency in Belfast last autumn to express concern over her treatment by staff during the transition to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit.

Her case was accepted following the meeting.

She said: “I would love to work but I could not cope.

“I am someone who would be very dedicated to whatever company I did work for but I just felt overwhelmed by too many people.”

The West Belfast woman suffered abuse at the hands of a priest at a Sisters of Nazareth-run home in Londonderry.

It has left her with a legacy of ill health and she said she felt ashamed going for a benefits interview.

“I was nearly hysterical, I was just in a bad way.”

A priest assaulted her while she was a child. By the time she was 12, he was having sex with her, she told a public inquiry.

She has waived her right to anonymity.

Ms Walmsley said she had post-traumatic stress disorder, bulimia and a series of other health problems.

The inquiry led by retired judge Sir Anthony Hart recommended a care package be established for survivors.

Action on his recommendations was delayed by the collapse of powersharing.

The Department for Communities, which oversees delivery of benefits in Northern Ireland, has started a review of existing claims awarded the highest level of support to identify those individuals who should have their award changed to an ongoing award, with a light touch review in 10 years.

The administrative review exercise to look at all current PIP claims to check if customers are eligible for more support under PIP as a result of two upper tribunal judgments in Britain which changed the way PIP is assessed started on June 28 last year.

At the end of November, about 10,900 cases had been cleared.

Meanwhile, the Government has confirmed that the full roll-out of Universal Credit, which covers housing and child tax benefits, is to be delayed.

Sinn Fein Assembly member Alex Maskey said: “They need to start listening and stop ignoring the evidence on the ground that Universal Credit has been a disaster.

“Stalling it won’t fix it. Delaying it won’t bring people out of poverty. It needs to be scrapped altogether.”