Howzat! One-legged father ordered to repay £36,000 in benefits after being filmed playing cricket
Shaun Rigby, from Telford in Shropshire, lost his leg below the knee at the age of two in a tractor accident and had received personal independence payments since 2016
A one-legged father has been ordered to pay back £36,000 in disability benefits after a video emerged of him playing cricket.
Listen to this article
Shaun Rigby, from Telford in Shropshire, lost his leg below the knee at the age of two in a tractor accident and has received personal independence payments since 2016, along with a Motability car issued three years ago.
But the 37-year-old has now been told by the Department for Work and Pensions (DPW) to repay thousands of pounds after investigators found his “daily needs” did not require the vehicle or the enhanced PIP payment.
Read more: Shoppers urged to show ‘patience, kindness and consideration’ to retail staff over festive season
He received a letter on Friday saying he needed to repay £36,000 following an appeal, after video footage emerged of him playing for Allscott Heath CC.
Mr Rigby, who has played sport since he was seven, claims he is disabled and his cricket playing does not change this.
His sporting career has never been hidden, he says, as he has featured for the England disabled team in the past.
Alongside these International caps, Mr Rigby has also played twice a week for his local club with the help of a runner.
He initially launched his appeal against the fine after he was interviewed under caution in August last year.
“It has been going on since August last year and the stress has not been doing me any good," he said.
"I’m not sure if I want to continue to fight it. A friend went to a tribunal and it took more than 18 months."
Mr Rigby called the DWP decision "unfair" and believed there were people with far less debilitating conditions using Motability cars.
He said he takes daily painkillers prescribed by his GP to help ease his constant pain, upping his dosage on match days as it "make the pain more tolerable".
But Mr Rigby felt this was all worthwhile, as playing cricket was "good for my own wellbeing".
When asked about the video, he said: "“They have footage of me playing but just because I play cricket doesn’t mean my leg has grown back. I still need help getting around.”
A DWP spokesperson said the decision had gone to an independent tribunal which agreed with the ruling.
They added: "Following Mr Rigby’s appeal, an independent tribunal agreed with DWP’s decision.
"Personal independence payments are awarded based on how a condition impacts a person’s day-to-day needs, as opposed to the condition itself."