A SEVERELY ill man was found “fit for work” and had his benefits stripped weeks before he died.

Ricky Neacey, who had chronic liver failure, was forced to fight the decision to axe his jobseeker’s allowance.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) then made a U-turn, putting Mr Neacey on employment support allowance, for those too ill to work.

But the north-west Londoner died three weeks later, the Brent and Kilburn Times reported.

His brother Mark told the local newspaper: “It’s shameful that they treat a person — especially someone as sick, ailing and depressed as my brother — like this.”

To make matters worse, Brent Council stripped Mr Neacey of his housing benefit after learning of the DWP decision.

The council is now conducting a review into the support they offered him.

A DWP spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with Mr Neacey’s family.”