£35m spent on appeals

MINISTERS spent £35million in a year dealing with appeals for those denied Personal Independence Payments .

And cases ruled in favour of claimants reached a record high of 68 per cent in the three months to September. The handouts are designed to help people with the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or infirmity.

The figures, obtained by Tory peer Baroness Altmann, revealed £35.3million was spent on appeals in the year to September. She said turning down disabled people for money to which they were entitled was causing ‘significant distress’ while also increasing the bill to the public.