A YORK widower who has won a lengthy campaign for an allowance for widowed fathers is now facing a new battle - because his success has left him worse off.

Frank Healy, 46, was delighted when he finally started receiving bereavement benefit in June.

He had urged the Government to introduce payments to widowed men with children - similar to a widow's pension for women in a similar position - after his wife, Linda, died from a brain haemorrhage seven years ago.

He and his two sons, Scott and Stuart, had survived on meagre benefits since and he was overjoyed when he received his first payment - nearly two years after a new widowed parents' allowance scheme was first announced.

But the father-of-two, from Dringhouses, is now furious after learning he has been stripped of most of his other benefits.

Mr Healy said: "I feel I am being punished because there is a loophole in the benefits system that appears to have been missed."

Chiefs at the Benefits Agency have told him he can no longer claim income support, while City of York Council has slashed his council tax benefit and housing benefit and taken away his claim for free school meals for Scott, ten, and Stuart, 14.

The council has also sent him a letter demanding he pays £300 in owed rent or risk losing his home.

A council spokesman said it could not comment on specific cases. "However, if someone's income goes up then it means they can lose their benefits," he said.

"We would advise anyone who has a concern to contact our benefits advisor or an independent agency."

Simon Wilkinson, a spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions, said: "We are unable to comment on specific cases except to say that widowed parents allowance, apart from the first £10, is taken into account against Income Support.

"If the total amount exceeds the entitlement then, unfortunately, none will be paid."

Mr Healy said: "This decision has cost me a lot of money. My housing benefit has been reduced, so I am paying £17 a week. I am paying council tax of £7 a week and I am forking out £20 a week for school meals for my children.

"I've lost income support because I am £16 over the threshold and I've also had to reapply for free prescriptions, dental and optical care, which I've been granted because my income is too low.

"I don't want anything for free, but neither do I want my children to suffer. The campaign I fought so hard for has come to fruition, but we're going to suffer again. The whole thing is so ironic, it borders on stupidity."

Mr Healy is being backed by York MP Hugh Bayley.

Equality campaigners are hoping to gain bus passes for all men over 60 by early next year, with the help of North Yorkshire MPs.

Parity, which is appealing for the Government to introduce half-price fares for men at the same age as women, has written to all MPs in the region asking for their support on the matter.

Retired postman John Taylor, from Norton, who is leading the campaign locally, said if the group gets sufficient support the law could be changed by next April.

Updated: 11:10 Monday, September 10, 2001