Brooke can’t drive because of a debilitating condition… she has asked for government support but was rejected for a ridiculous reason

A young woman living with a lifelong condition that leaves her prone to seizures has dismissed the ridiculous reason why she has been denied access to Centrelink.

Victorian woman Brooke Wilson, 26, suffers from epilepsy and her condition is worsening after being diagnosed with Covid.

She now suffers from status epilepticus – a medical condition in which a person has a seizure for five minutes, or several minutes within the same time frame, without regaining consciousness between episodes.

Her last major episode was on Halloween, while having a drink with her father in a pub, when she suddenly fell to the ground, convulsing.

Mrs Wilson had already completed two ten-minute episodes when an ambulance arrived at the pub and rushed her to hospital.

The 26-year-old has lost her driver’s license for the second time, making her dependent on Uber for her travels due to the lack of public transport in her area.

The fee earns her $100 because she uses the rideshare service every time she has to travel to and from work.

Ms Wilson applied to Centrelink for a mobility allowance to help pay the costs when it was rejected due to a technical problem.

“They have determined that I am not eligible for transportation assistance because I do not have a disability, but a chronic illness,” she wrote to her. GoFundMe page.

Ms Wilson’s fundraising page – which asked for $1,150 to cover her travel costs for services over the holiday period – added that the denial has left her in a “very difficult situation”.

“My application was unfortunately rejected, despite my condition being serious enough to limit my mobility,” she wrote.

‘This has put me in a very difficult situation, especially as I cannot always rely on family members to drive me.

“I feel the burden of asking the people I love to drive me around because I am conscious of the costs of fuel and living expenses.”

She added that while she is doing everything she can to “adapt to these new circumstances,” she is still struggling to cover travel costs.

“Your donation, no matter how small, will make a huge difference and help me maintain my independence at this difficult time,” Ms Wilson wrote.

A spokesperson for the Department of Social Services said a mobility allowance is aimed at people with a disability, illness or injury who are ‘unable to use public transport without substantial assistance and who need to travel to undertake approved activities’ .

“It’s not just for people with certain disabilities, people with chronic illnesses may also qualify,” the spokesperson told Yahoo.

‘To qualify, an income support recipient who applies for a mobility allowance must provide a medical report from their doctor confirming that they cannot use public transport without substantial assistance.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the department for comment.