THE ending of the ATOS contract even earlier than planned, due to complaints of inhumane assessment and clear evidence that thousands were classed as fit to work when they were sick and vulnerable, should be a shot across the bow for any reader still willing to trust this government’s action on the unemployed and people who receive welfare benefits.

The Right-wing think tank Policy Exchange is saying something is going wrong with the benefit sanctions regime of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

This is on top of months of warning from Labour, charities and church groups.

Policy Exchange says up to one third of benefit claimants, through DWP error or really small failure like applying for 10 jobs instead of 11 or arriving 10 minutes late for an interview, are having benefits removed for a month with increased sanction time thereafter.

People are then desperate and turn to food banks.

There is evidence in Greater Manchester that people having to pay the bedroom tax, of which around 60pc have sickness or disability, are making really hard choices.

People are becoming malnourished, eating just rounds of toast and are losing weight through missing meals.

There is no first warning for people falling foul of the harsh benefit rules. The sanctions are one month, then three months, then up as far as three years with no benefits.

Surely sanctions should be restricted to the few serial prolific offenders, but even that should be treated with care if the welfare dependent are mentally ill, for example. People who struggle with life tend to make mistakes. What’s the point of making people destitute and hopeless if we want them to find work?

I don’t want to live in a Greater Manchester or a Bolton that sees an increase in homelessness and destitution and I am worried about this.

Susan Haworth Tonge Moor