AN ALTON man has called the professionalism of the Department of Social Security into question, after claiming his plea for help was met with ridicule and sarcasm by staff at the DSS office in Aldershot.

Christopher Mutton (20) of Four Marks was a rear-seat passenger in a serious road accident on the A325 at Kingsley two and a half years ago.

As a result Chris has 11 titanium plates in his head around his sinuses, eye sockets and forehead. He spent a week in hospital, and was ordered to stay in bed for 18 months. He has undergone two operations, the first of which lasted five and a half hours, and he has received 77 stitches.

Two and a half years on, Chris has virtually no short- term memory and suffers from anxiety attacks and depression.

He has tried to work over the last two years, but his appalling memory has meant that it has been impossible to keep a job.

At the time of the crash Chris was working as a baker in his local supermarket, a job he tried returning to when he was physically able. However, his memory meant that he was unable to function properly in the job.

He also worked as a milkman and as a car valeting technician, but his memory again prevented him from functioning properly as an employee, and he was asked to leave.

Chris says he tried to avoid claiming benefit at all costs, preferring to work for a living. However, he finally resigned himself to the fact that it was going to be near enough impossible to find a job that suited him.

He said, "I'm not stupid, and I have got full use of all of my limbs, it's just that I can only work for about three or four hours at a time".

Knowing very little about benefits, Chris went to the DSS office in Aldershot, to ask for guidance in claiming the appropriate benefits, accompanied by his mother Andrée.

While his mother was present, he said, staff seemed helpful and concerned by his situation. However, it was when she left that Chris's problems began.

Chris says he was told that any type of benefit that he would receive would take up to two weeks to process, and in the meantime he could apply for a Crisis Loan to tide him over. He filled in yet another form for the loan, on top of the mass of forms already completed in applying for the benefit itself, detailing how much money he needed and what he needed it for.

He came up with the figure of £140 for the two weeks, to cover rent, food and washing materials. He received a letter saying that the DSS were only prepared to give him £36 to last him two weeks, as this was "the standard amount, based on the average person's living allowance per week".

When Chris asked how he was supposed to live on this, bearing in mind the fact that he had not eaten in three days and could not afford the bus fare home, he says he was told it was not their problem and he would have to "budget it".

He was also given the telephone number of a complaints line, which he promptly rang. Again he was made to recount his circumstances and why he needed the money, to which the person on the other end allegedly replied, "I'm just here to listen, I can't do anything to help you. Take it or leave it".

Chris said that after his continued protests, staff became obnoxious and rude. "I went in there asking for their help, and not only were they no help but they were also incredibly rude.

"They were behind the counter pointing and laughing at me. The girl who told me how much my crisis loan would be literally had to stop herself from laughing. I've got enough problems without that kind of treatment".

After spending five hours in the office, Chris left with very little money, and says he had been insulted and humiliated.

It is also likely that his situation will not improve very much when the benefits finally do come through. Incapacity Benefit and Income Support total £90 per week between them.

After paying his weekly rent of £75, he is left with £15 a week to buy food and pay bills. To add insult to injury, he also has to repay his crisis loan out of this money, at a rate of £6-30 per week, which takes his money for food and bills to a meagre £8-70 per week.

Chris is clear about what he would like to see done about the situation. He said: "I think that the system by which benefits are allocated should be made much easier, and should be handled with a bit more competence. I received a letter from the DSS requesting a sick note from my doctor, two days after I had handed one in to them. It was the rudeness that really upset me though".

Mr Mike Smith of the DSS press office, said he could not comment on individual cases, but said of the system, "Crisis Loans are to help people with immediate expenses until their benefit claim is processed. Each Benefits Agency District has an annual budget and officers aim to meet needs which are most essential, taking into account the individual circumstances of each application". The Herald asked if the DSS was taking individual circumstances into account, why is the Crisis Loan payment a standard £36?

To this, Mr Smith replied, "The loan is for food and living expenses, but not for rent. Rent should be covered by Housing Benefit. For food and living expenses, £36 should be quite enough".

The DSS is currently looking into Chris's complaints, and has said that it will keep The Herald informed of any findings.