A LEADING epilepsy charity has hit out at the treatment of a Greenock woman who was branded a 'liar' and had her disability benefits axed.

Epilepsy Action today warned that Pauline Wotherspoon is not alone after she failed to convince a tribunal panel that she needed personal independent payments.

The mum-of-two suffers from uncontrolled seizures which are so severe she can't even recognise her own family.

She recently told the Tele how she felt humiliated and degraded by the experience.

But a tribunal refused her appeal and sent her a damning judgement saying that she was 'untruthful and unreliable' and 'lacking credibility'.

Epilepsy Action chief executive Philip Lee said: "Unfortunately Pauline is far from alone in her struggles to received PIP.

“The PIP system is currently failing people with epilepsy.

"We want to see a system where everyone who needs it gets the support they are entitled to.

"We are calling on the government to urgently review the whole PIP assessment process.

"If this does not happen, it will continue to have more devastating effects for people with epilepsy.”

The charity says three out of five people with epilepsy who were previously in receipt of the old Disability Living Allowance were awarded less money or none at all under the new regime.

The chief executive added: "This is a higher percentage that any other disability or health condition.

"Epilepsy is an unpredictable condition. For some people with the condition carrying out basic tasks such as having a shower or even heating up a ready meal can be dangerous."

Pauline has suffered from epilepsy since she was seven years old and says she's lost count of the number of serious injuries and burns she has sustained as a result of seizures.

Pauline who lives her husband Thomas, and her 13-year-old son Kyle, also developed eating disorder bulimia as a teenager.

But that was dismissed by the panel because she was of average build.

Pauline now plans to fight the decision by the panel by taking it to an Upper Tribunal.