Tracy Kenny claims she can't work because she's allergic to shoes

A 45-YEAR-OLD woman has pocketed $170000 in unemployment benefits over the last 20 years because she claims to be allergic to shoes.

Ms Kenny claims she can't work because she's allergic to shoes.

A 45-YEAR-OLD woman in the United Kingdom claims she can't get a job because she's allergic to shoes.

Tracy Kenny, a former baker who lives in Salford, has pocketed about $170000 in unemployment benefits over the last 20 years.

That's about to stop though. Government officials have ruled Ms Kenny is fit to work, so she is no longer eligible for handouts, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Ms Kenny claims to have painful allergies to rubber, glue, nickel and metal which leave her skin sore and blistered. This condition is called contact dermatitis.

Ms Kenny remains barefoot and only leaves her house in a mobility scooter. She has to wear gloves when handling metal items, such as cutlery.

She quit her job as a factory worker 20 years ago when the allergies first affected her hands.

"How can I go to work, or go to job interviews, with no shoes on? I just don't know what to do. I can only wear shoes for 10 or 15 minutes before my feet blister and split," Ms Kenny said.

"It's so unfair and stressful - I'm genuinely ill. Sick people are suffering because the government wants more money," she said.

"I've tried everything to help. The doctors at Salford Royal (Hospital) even organised a pair of clogs to be made in Switzerland for me. But I had a reaction to the canvas material on the top.

"It's also linked to stress, and it doesn't help that my 22-year-old son Joshua is serving in Afghanistan."

Ms Kenny appealed the government's decision to withdraw her benefits and lost.

"A decision on whether someone is well enough to work is taken following a thorough assessment and after consideration of all the supporting medical evidence provided by the claimant," a government spokesman said.

Ms Kenny also suffers from diabetes and thyroid problems. Her unemployment benefits were cut after she underwent a medical test, but she will still be able to claim more than $300 a month in the form of a disability living allowance.

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