THE “extremely harrowing” experience of an anxiety and depression sufferer who was unable to work was laid bare yesterday in a Westminster Hall debate about failures of benefit assessments.

SNP MP Angela Crawley said her constituent Donna endured two “dehumanising” assessments for employment support allowance (ESA) and personal independence payment (PIP).

Because of her poor mental health, she believed her husband and two children would be better off without her and that she had “no skills to share with the world.”

The work capability assessments (WCA) carried out by privateers on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were “the worst days of her life” because being refused benefits would have confirmed crushing beliefs Donna had about herself, the MP for Lanark & Hamilton East said.

A WCA report claimed Donna was poorly dressed, looked tired and sweaty, was underweight, showed no emotions, seemed agitated and was unable to calculate sums or spell words backwards during the interview, she added.

Ms Crawley, who announced that Scotland would design its own assessment system under devolution, asked MPs: “Is this what you want to achieve?

“Many of these factors noted about Donna are subjective and circumstantial. What if she was immaculately dressed or was having a better day compared to her bad ones?”

Donna said receiving ESA and PIP was “vital” to her eventual recovery and that she wishes to return to work slowly to build up her resilience.

Ms Crawley criticised the DWP for offering no middle ground and for insisting that a claimant returns to full-time work sooner than they are able.

She added that the vast majority of rejected ESA and PIP claims are overturned at appeal stage — which shows that claimants are ultimately entitled to the benefits.

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