DISABILITY charity Scope is calling for an overhaul of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) after its chairman Andrew McDonald had his benefits cut despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and incurable prostate cancer.

PIP is currently distributed to nearly two million people in Britain and the points-based benefit pays claimants between £57.30 for applicants with eight points and £85.60 for 12 or more towards daily living each week.

Mr McDonald said the daily living element of his PIP was withdrawn entirely after an assessment reduced his points from 11 to two because of “informal observations” by the assessor.

“Disabled people have a right to a simple, transparent and fair system,” Mr McDonald said. “Instead, they face a bureaucratic assessment where the odds are stacked against them.

“Tribunals saw fit to overturn 71 per cent of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decisions in the first quarter of this year. That figure alone demonstrates that anybody who thinks the administration of PIP has been fixed is wrong.”

Mr McDonald added that the system needed reforming.

Points are decided through an assessment of how easily claimants can complete everyday activities like bathing and dressing.

The DWP said the PIP system was designed to treat claimants “fairly” and that they were “committed in supporting” people with health conditions.

Linda Burnip, of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), told the Star it was nice Scope had finally realised it was a problem.

“Hopefully they will now act and campaign to stop people being forced to undergo this totally inadequate assessment,” she said.

Ms Burnip added that DPAC had been calling for a systematic change for eight years.

In response to the DWP’s comments, Ms Burnip said she was “rolling on the floor laughing” as it was “all in their imagination.”

Labour's shadow minister for disabled people Marsha de Cordova said a “hostile environment” was created by the Conservatives within the social security system.

“People such as Andrew McDonald face a deeply flawed social security system that too often lets them down. A system that in this case denied someone PIP despite having terminal cancer,” she said.

“Labour will scrap the cruel PIP and Work Capability Assessments and introduce a tailored and supportive framework that treats ill and disabled people with dignity and respect.”