I have been campaigning against the punitive sanctions faced by thousands of disabled people ever since the LibDem/Tory Coalition made changes to the benefits system and introduced them. The sanctions have led to some disadvantaged people losing access to all support from the Department for Work and Pensions for three years and were pernicious in their conception and vicious in their implementation.

On the Work and Pensions select committee, I pushed for their abolition in some cases as well as an overall reduction. DWP have now announced that the longest sanction will now be six months. This is a massive climb down from the previous DWP position and I am pleased to have played a part in winning this significant policy change for many vulnerable people.