DWP worker's 'life made hell' after warning for asthma attack

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) worker has been awarded £26,000 for unfair treatment from his bosses, after they labelled him a ‘whinger’ and gave him a warning following an asthma attack at work – The Mirror reports.

Barrie Caulcutt, 55, who worked at the DWP for 35 years, won an employment tribunal against bosses at a Caernarfon-based DWP office, after his ‘life was made hell’ by his bosses ‘merciless’ treatment.

A tribunal ruled that the DWP was guilty of discrimination for failing to make reasonable adjustments for Caulcutt’s disability. Caulcutt suffers from anxiety, chronic asthma, eczema and previously had prostate cancer which was successfully operated on.  

He said that problems began after he was moved from a backroom function to work on the ‘frontline’ looking after ‘angry’ benefits claimants - going against advice from his GP and DWP’s occupational health advisors that he shouldn’t deal with customers.