Government apologises ‘unreservedly’ for stopping grandmother’s pension payments, leaving her just £5 in the bank when she killed herself

The Government has apologised 'unreservedly' to the family of an 82-year-old woman who committed suicide after her benefits payments were stopped.

Joy Worrall had just £5 in her bank account on the day she died, after her benefits and winter fuel allowance was stopped for 15 months.

Work and Pensions minister Guy Opperman told MPs: 'The Government apologises unreservedly for the clerical error.

'It was a clerical error that led to Mrs Worrall's pension payment being stopped.'

Labour MP David Hanson (Delyn) raised the case of his constituent on behalf of her family and urged the Government to ensure 'nobody again will commit suicide due to poverty'.

Mr Opperman said his thoughts were with the family and friends of Mrs Worrall.

He added: 'We have urgently reviewed our processes and acted so that benefits are longer linked on our systems, to try to ensure that this does not happen again.

'But there is an internal process review and I undertake to write to the honourable gentleman with what we do know in the short term, and more detail when the urgent processes review has taken place.'

Ms Worral's devastated son Ben Worrall, 44, told The Mirror on Wednesday: 'The DWP has a case to answer.'

'There's some element of duty of care they're meant to perform for vulnerable people in society. That has not been carried out, by their own admission.'

Mr Worrall said that he did not blame the people at the DWP and acknowledged that people make mistakes

He said that his mother was too proud to ask for financial help from her son and her best friend.

'She felt uncomfortable taking money from the state anyway. I feel we've been let down by the DWP, who have failed in their duty of care,' he added.

A DWP spokesperson said in a statement: 'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mrs Worrall.

'We apologise unreservedly to Mrs Worrall's family for the error that led to her pension payments being stopped and pledge to learn the lessons.'

Mrs Worrall was too proud to tell her family about her financial troubles and threw herself off a quarry, as she had always threatened to do if she had major health or money worries, her son said.

Now Delyn MP David Hanson is seeking further clarification and an assurance that the procedures have been tightened to prevent a recurrence.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7025591/Government-apologises-stopping-grandmothers-pension-payments-killed-herself.html

What a fucking disgrace!

All in the name of Conservative austerity.

Where are all the Tory voters now?

Polling at around 10%.

Rats deserting a sinking ship.

There's been lot's of times when my Account was zero !