Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, responding to a report from the Work and Pensions Committee, which condemns Concentrix and HMRC for their “gross failure of customer service, said:

“This report provides us with yet more evidence of the disgraceful way in which the Government handled the Concentrix contract.

“It appears that HMRC willingly encouraged Concentrix to take a ‘cut first, think later’ approach which has resulted in a huge amount of suffering. Claimants in many cases wrongly lost out on their benefits for months and were forced to borrow money and use food banks to survive.

“All the way through this debacle the Government has been shamefully on the back foot and they only took action after they were put under pressure by Labour and in the media.

“The Government has run out of excuses. £32.5 million of taxpayers’ money has been sunk into this contract so not only do we need an independent public enquiry to ensure these mistakes are never repeated again but the claimants also deserve an apology for the appalling ordeal they have been through.”