Campaigner believes former ministers should be held personally responsible for death of claimant
A prominent disability activists has complained to Police Scotland over the actions of former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith and former employment minister Chris Grayling.
John McArdle, co-founder of disability campaign group Black Triangle, has lodged a complaint with police in Edinburgh saying the two Conservative politicians are guilty of the Scottish criminal offence of wilful neglect of duty by a public official.
He claims they failed to take steps to improve the work capability assessment (WCA) in 2010 after being warned by a coroner that its flaws risked causing future deaths.
Police Scotland confirmed a complaint had been made.
A spokeswoman said: “Police in Edinburgh received a report of misconduct in public office on 23 March 2016.
“The individual who made the complaint has been spoken to and we are awaiting further information to assess this matter and establish what actions are required.”
McArdle’s complaint centres on the suicide of Stephen Carré in January 2010.
Carré took his own life in 2010 after he lost an appeal against the finding that he was fit to return to work. He was clinically depressed and had been diagnosed as bipolar.
At the inquest into his death the coroner ruled that the decision that he was “fit for work” had been the trigger for his suicide.
Campaigners believe the decision led to other deaths
Smith and Grayling assumed responsibility for responding to a letter written by coroner Tom Osborne, who carried out the inquest into Carré’s death, in which he outlined serious concerns about the safety of the WCA.
Osborne asked to review the WCA policy in light of people who had problems with mental illness.
Campaigners, including Black Triangle, believe that the decision of Duncan Smith and Grayling to ignore Osborne’s letter led to other deaths.
The Department of Work and Pensions had been contacted for comment.
