Government apology over pensioner who committed suicide after benefits stopped

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

For the Government, 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.”

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2019, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) North Wales Police.