An East Suffolk charity for disabled people has seen a sixteen-times increase in the number of people coming to them in extreme poverty over the last three years.

A spokesperson for Disability Advice Service blamed the increase from 29 people in 2019 to 463 in 2022 on rising living costs and unjust benefits decisions by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Rod Gibson, secretary and trustee at DAS, said: "It is not untypical to get a call from someone who says 'I haven't eaten for four days but I have been able to feed the dog.'

"These were people who were just on the verge of not being able to manage. Then along came energy bills and the rising cost of living and they were tipped over the edge.

"Those we work with often have fragile mental health, and the anxiety caused by financial hardship makes this much worse.

"East Suffolk provided us with £33.5 million from a government grant to help those who come to us in poverty – which was the full amount we bid for.

"East Suffolk and Suffolk county councils have really supported DAS, but the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is the enemy as far as we're concerned.

"Over the past three years, DAS has had a 100% success rate in the appeals we've supported for unjust benefits decisions by the DWP.

"The department even withheld information from parliament about the number of people who had committed suicide after having their benefits stopped."

In 2020, DWP officials admitted to shredding around 50 reviews into deaths following the loss of social security payments before 2015. They blamed data protection laws but the data watchdog said there was no requirement to destroy the reports by a particular date.

A freedom of information request by Disability News Service last year found 140 internal reviews by the DWP into deaths of benefits claimants between 2019 and 2021; this was more than double the figure between 2016 and 2018.

Mr Gibson explained the many ways DAS uses the grant for those in poverty, including getting a week's worth of food, helping with other essentials like topping up electricity and ensuring individuals are getting the benefits payments they are entitled to.

The grant originates with the DWP, something Mr Gibson described as "ironic".

A government spokesperson said: "We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable and recognise the extra costs disabled people face.

"That's why we supported six million people with a disability or health condition with an extra £150 payment last year while millions of low-income households received at least £1,200 of direct help, including £400 towards energy costs over 2022/23.

"Our disability assessors are all qualified health professionals and our priority is to ensure that people get the benefits to which they are entitled as soon as possible.

"Decisions are made using all the information available to us at the time, but if someone disagrees with that decision then they have the right to ask for a review."

The spokesperson explained disability benefits will be increased from April by 10.1 percent, in-line with inflation.

DAS mainly covers the old Suffolk Coastal area of East Suffolk but 15 percent of its clients live in Ipswich.

Information about how the charity can support you or someone you know can be found here: http://www.daseastsuffolk.org/get-help/.