MP grills May on mobility benefits

Mr Marsden told Parliament that among his constituents who had had their Personal Independence Payments (PIP) withdrawn was a man who had suffered a serious brain injury.

He raised the issue during Prime Minister’s Question Time yesterday amid concerns independent tribunal decisions approving benefits are being challenged by the Government.

Mr Marsden told the PM: “If she wants people to respect Brexit means Brexit, can she respect tribunal means tribunal?”

Mrs May replied: “This is about restoring the system to the state that it was intended to be when Parliament agreed it.

“It was agreed by the coalition government and this Parliament after extensive consultation.”

Following PMQs, Mr Marsden revealed his office had dealt with 32 benefit-related inquiries since the start of the year.

He said: “Our casework not only includes the two tribunal appeals I mentioned as part of my question to the Prime Minister, but also there are people who have lost the mobility component of their benefits.”

“These includes a double amputee and someone who I can only describe as having a cocktail of five different conditions.

“It is not just a question of whether the challenges are fair, but when a tribunal decides someone should get a benefit, the government is appealing.

“In the meantime the person in question not only is without their benefit but has the sword of Damocles hanging over them.”

Since the introduction of PIP in 2013, the number of people appealing a decision at tribunal has risen.

Overall there are now more than 6,000 full tribunals a month and in around 65 per cent of cases the original decision is overturned by a judge.