Stephen Smith, from Liverpool, became an international news icon after a friend took a picture of him in hospital when his weight dropped to six stone.
The 64-year-old, who had two benefits stopped after he was deemed fit for work, was granted special leave by the hospital to contest a tribunal to reinstate his benefits.
In January, a judge overturned the decision previously made by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The successful appeal resulted in the remuneration of more than £4,000.
But tragically, before Mr Smith had the chance to spend even a penny of the money, the news broke that he had died.
Although the cause of death is not yet known, some suspect it was due to pneumonia which he had recently contracted.
The money will now be used to pay for his funeral.
Liam Thorp, the political editor of the Liverpool Echo, who was responsible for breaking the story, told me: “The whole system needs to be reformed to ensure it prioritises people experiencing poverty.”
He added: “Those images of Stephen’s emaciated body will forever be held up as a reminder of how messed up the system is, which is currently failing the very people whom it was set up to support.”
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