Jonathan Ashworth responds to warnings showing 118,000 disabled people are being denied compensation

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, responding to warnings from the Parliamentary Health Services Ombudsman showing that 118,000 disability benefit claimants are being denied the right to compensation benefit payments, said:

"Disabled people and people with long term health conditions are facing a Tory cost of living crisis with heating bills going up, prices rising and support cut, but the truth is that many thousands of people continue to suffer as a result of  a decade old Government failure that left many people without the money for basic food and living costs. 

“It's scandalous that government incompetence has left thousands of disabled people without the support they were rightly owed. This is a damning verdict from the Ombudsman and Therese Coffey must come to the Commons immediately to explain how she intends to right this wrong for 118,000 disabled people."

Ends

Notes to editors

• https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/publications/investigation-dwps-handling-migration-employment-and-support-allowance