Responding to the speech today by Iain Duncan Smith to which he barred journalists from attending, Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn, who opposed the introduction of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) under the last Labour government, said:

“Two years ago I backed calls in Parliament led by John McDonnell MP for a full cumulative impact assessment of the impact of cuts on disabled people, calls wilfully ignored by this Government.

“The work capability assessment has been an unmitigated disaster for disabled people, as well as for the reputation of the DWP, its Ministers, and the contractors involved.

“I share the view of the huge coalition of DWP workers, medical professionals, disabled people’s organisations, the TUC, and dozens of MPs who are calling for it to be scrapped.

“Disabled people have been targeted and are being hit up to 19 times harder by the cuts than others. The WCA has caused immense distress and even suicide, and this will only increase now that the Summer Budget announced a £30 cut per week for those disabled people deemed unable to work, but able to do some work-related activity.

“After the ‘fake quotes’ debacle last week, the Secretary of State needs to start listening to what disabled people are saying – that WCA is a failed policy and should be scrapped.”