THOUSANDS of people have told an inquiry into disability benefits of their despair at the system, including dozens who have been driven to suicidal thoughts.

MPs have heard how people were denied disability benefits or had to fight to keep their entitlements, the chairman of the work and pensions committee Frank Field said yesterday.

Some 3,000 people gave evidence, with many saying their mental health had worsened after trying to claim employment and support allowance (ESA) for daily living costs and/or personal independence payment.

More than 100 people said that they, or someone they care for, feel their suicidal feelings have worsened or been triggered by the process.

Claire, who has mental-health problems, wrote to the committee to say: “The assessor had to write things like if you were ‘rocking,’ which made me feel like the DWP [Department for Work and Pensions] got their ideas of mental illness from fiction books.

“I had to fill the form in again recently and I believe that this has triggered another crisis period, which meant that I ended up attempting suicide.”

Some assessors overlooked disabilities or illnesses that are not immediately visible.

One respondent called Lisa said: “If you look well enough, then you don’t get it. I’m struggling to live on the £73 a week, I’m not sure I can cope with being turned down again. Have even considered suicide. I’m at my wits’ end, please help.”

Mr Field, a former Labour welfare minister, said: “These are carefully written pleas of anguish and for help from individuals. This system is acting as a concrete block on the top of people rather than acting as a floor from which people can build security through their own efforts.

“We expected to get about 100 letters and we have had over 3,000, and they are still coming in although it is after the date.”

One person who works on the ESA benefit inquiry phone line wrote in to say: “Customers are always saying the DWP decision-makers’ written report doesn’t reflect what happened in the assessment room.”

Linda Burnip, co-founder of campaign group Disabled People Against Cuts, told the Star: “People have been in touch saying they’ve also been asked why they’ve not tried to kill themselves yet.

“The Tories seem quite happy with the way things are going and don’t really seem to care.”