A SEVERELY disabled single mum who has a degenerative condition says she feels bullied by social services after it cut the hours of care she receives.

For the last 13 years, Cody Sharp, of Downside Park, Trowbridge, has struggled with Friedreich’s ataxia, which eventually forced her to use an electric wheelchair.

When her son Riley was born in 2012, a care plan was put in place by social services, giving her 19 hours of care a day.

However, when a social worker came to her home in May, two years after she and Riley moved into their own place, Ms Sharp was told it was a mistake that she had been given that amount of care, that she was not entitled to it and she would lose four hours of care a day.

At that meeting Ms Sharp was told that she was not at risk but just last week she slipped and fell in the bathroom, hitting her neck on the sink. She argues that if anything she needs more care rather than less.

“I feel bullied. They don’t listen to me. I was worried they would take Riley away from me. If I don’t do as they say, I will be forced into a care plan that may not suit me,” said Ms Sharp, who also suffers from diabetes.

“I cannot do some of the things I used to do when the plan was made. My muscles are not as strong, I cannot grip things well and I find it harder to do most things. They have not assessed me properly.

“With the old plan I could do my shopping, go to hospital appointments and the doctors, but now I will have to take Riley to them as the hours will change.

“He is a five-year-old boy, he does not want to do all this stuff with me. When my wheelchair broke I was given an indoor one that is slower, hard to get about and gives me less support. Over a week later and I still don’t have a replacement.”

Her mother Debbie, of Longfield Park, added: “When the visit took place, they pointed out she was spending more than her budget allowed and that Cody would have to reduce her hours by a substantial amount, putting both mother and child at risk, despite a full assessment not having been carried out for two years.

“When questions were asked around how they came up with the number of hours that could be reduced they fell upon deaf ears and still to this day have not been answered.

“The attitude was, ‘just lose the hours or lose the ability to receive direct payments’. It is a nightmare situation.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “There has been no reduction in the funding Miss Sharp receives from the council for her care, or the amount of care she has been assessed as needing.”

The council said they were working with Miss Sharp to re-assess her care plan, as she was currently receiving more hours care than had been budgeted for.