Ana Paula Cabral’s universal credit payments were abruptly ended by DWP when she failed to return from Portugal trip
A woman with stage 4 colon cancer has had her universal credit payments stopped and is at risk of losing her home after she fell ill while visiting family abroad to tell them about her diagnosis.
Ana Paula Cabral, 65, who moved to the UK from Portugal eight years ago, started receiving universal credit (UC) in July as she was unable to work after her cancer diagnosis, which required extensive chemotherapy.
Her payments were abruptly stopped in September after she fell seriously ill while in Portugal, with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) saying she is no longer eligible as she has been out of the country for over a month.
With no income, Cabral said she feared she would lose her London home as she was unable to pay her rent and bills, and may also lose her job at a nearby shop selling homewares.
