A woman made doubly incontinent by a violent rape has been denied an urgent hearing to have her disability benefits reinstated.

The 53-year-old, whose story was brought to national attention by Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield last month, has little bladder or bowel control as a result of the attack.

She was granted a lifetime award of Disability Living Allowance in 2010, worth about £250 a month, but lost the benefit three years ago after being re-assessed for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) under controversial new rules.

Speaking under the name of Susan to protect her identity, she has told KentOnline how her condition gives her no warning before an accident and prevents her from working, socialising, and sometimes even going outside for fear of embarrassment.

In the face of mounting financial difficulties - which have led to her building up mortgage arrears of over £1,500 and selling personal belongings to make ends meet - Susan lodged a request at the beginning of February for an urgent appeal hearing but learned it was rejected last week.

The refusal means her case remains in a queue waiting to be heard at Margate’s first-tier tribunal, where appeals currently take 63 weeks to appear before a judge.

“For myself and others, it’s absolutely appalling,” she said.

“When you have been awarded a lifetime award of DLA and that is taken away from you, to then not have any money despite you continuing to need it is incredibly distressing.

"Life is difficult enough without the financial burden.

Susan spoke to KMTV

"The decision we had to make last week was do we pay for electricity, or do we get some food in for the weekend?

“Those are not choices that humans should have to make.

“With 70% of PIP appeals successfully being overturned, there is something wrong with the system and it needs to be scrapped.”

Susan, who sometimes needs to go the toilet without warning seven or eight times a day, says the criteria for PIP “totally ignores” the debilitating effects of incontinence.

Since her payments were stopped in 2016, she has entered a debt management programme and now faces having to give up her car, despite being unable to use public transport.

“I don’t understand why PIP is worth less than DLA.

"I think people that have been awarded a lifetime of DLA, should be allowed a lifetime of PIP,” the former consultancy worker continued.

“I don’t understand how the government can justify a wait of more than a year for justice. What are people supposed to live on, thin air?”

“I have worked all my life. I have paid into the system.

"I haven’t been on benefits for life, I have called into the benefits system when I needed it.”

Rosie Duffield, who has been lobbying the Department for Work and Pensions on Susan’s behalf, recently wrote to Secretary of State Amber Rudd calling the delays disabled people are enduring for appeals to be heard "unacceptable".

“I am extremely concerned for the health and wellbeing of my constituents that have been affected by the PIP process,” the Labour MP said.

"I have worked all my life. I have paid into the system.. I haven't been on benefits for life, I have called into the benefits system when I needed it" - the rape victim

“My team and I have seen some shocking examples of the hostility that constituents face at assessment centres and have recently discovered that the current wait for an appeal is 63 weeks.”

She added that "systemic failures" in the decision-making process for PIP are forcing the most vulnerable into destitution.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: "We’re committed to ensuring that people get the support they’re entitled to.

"Decisions for PIP are made using all the available evidence, and when decisions are overturned at tribunal it’s often because further evidence has been provided.

"An urgent hearing application can be made in exceptional cases where waiting times are excessive, and those with a particular need such as a mental health problem, terminal illness or financial hardship are likely to be considered."