BLACKPOOL South MP Gordon Marsden has criticised private medical examiners who fail to give enough attention or time when assessing claimants for disability living allowance.
Speaking in a debate in the Commons, Mr Marsden talked about the performance of Benefits Agency Medical Services in the wake of a critical report by the all-party Select Committee for Social Security.
He quoted cases of Blackpool constituents turned down for benefits by an examiner who spent, it was claimed, "less than five minutes" assessing the claimant's physical condition.
Supporting the report's criticism, Mr Marsden quoted a Preston Benefits Agency official who had written to him saying that "the majority of clinical examinations can be conducted in ten minutes."
After the debate, Mr Marsden said he was very pleased that social security manager Hugh Baily was responding to the concerns of the Select Committee. He said: "People's well-being and eligibility for benefits is at stake here."
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