DEVOTED parents who have dedicated their lives to their severely disabled daughters have had their carers’ allowance taken away – for becoming pensioners.

Gwen Witchalls-Rees and Eddie Rees, of Weymouth, will no longer receive £53.10 a week each for providing round-the clock-care for their two daughters.

Officers at the Department of Work and Pensions have told the couple that it is normal practice for the allowance to be withdrawn because they each receive a state pension.

The couple say they are disgusted by the government’s decision.

Gwen, 60, said: “This makes me livid. We are still doing the caring.

“It’s an insult that the government can decide that although we are doing the same work as we did before we were pensioners, we are not entitled to the carers’ allowance any more.

“We’ve cared for these girls willingly for a joint number of 75 years and have saved the government around £1,000 a week in care costs.”

Both the couple’s daughters are wheelchair-bound and live in a converted house with their parents in Knightsdale Road.

Eddie’s daughter Paula is 39 and has cerebral palsy and the neurological disorder microcephaly Eddie said: “She’s always had to have everything done for her, needs to be fed and kept an eye on during the night because she can gag.

“I don’t understand why the money has stopped – it’s not as though I’ve stopped being Paula’s carer.”

Gwen’s daughter Dion Witchalls-Conroy, 36, contracted meningitis when she was 13 months old and has been left physically and mentally disabled.

She is epileptic and has to be fed through her stomach.

The couple, who used to live in London, were friends for many years and married after Eddie’s wife passed away.

Gwen said: “Our daughters need as much care as babies do. We do everything for them.

“We don’t want them to go into a home and we want to look after them. Dion is part of me. I don’t think for myself – I think for myself and Dion as one person.

“My punishment for becoming a pensioner seems to be unfair dismissal as a carer.”

In place of their carers’ allowance, Eddie receives £113 a week state pension while Gwen receives £99.66 a week.

Gwen said: “Money isn’t the issue here as our pensions are virtually double our carers’ allowance.

“Anyone who’s not a carer draws their pension at the same age and their lifestyle is their own.

“Carers don’t have the time or energy to fight their causes, but I want people to know where our government’s priorities lie.”

A DWP spokeswoman said that the department has reviewed the facts and evidence relating to the case of Mrs Witchalls-Rees and Mr Rees.

She added: “The amount of retirement pension the couple gets is more than the amount of carers’ allowance paid.

“Where carers’ allowance is not paid because the are receiving another benefit, they have underlying entitlement to carers’ allowance which can help them to get extra benefit.

“The couple can contact the pension centre on 0800 99 1234 to arrange for a pensions service representative to visit them at home to assess their entitlement to pension credit and the carer premium and other financial support.”