THERESA May has refused to apologise to a Glasgow woman who wrongly had her benefits sanctioned for 276 days.

The Tory leader was put on the spot at Prime Minister’s Questions, with Glasgow East MP David Linden telling the Commons about the struggles of his constituent, Margo Laird.

His constituent, he said, had “profound mental health difficulties” and had been “put on to Universal Credit in January 2016 and subsequently received a 276 day sanction”.

“A judge recently ruled that sanction was wrong and it’s now been overturned,” Linden said.

“Will the Prime Minister agree to look into Margo Laird’s case but above all will she apologise to Margo?”

The Prime Minister did not say sorry. She replied: “I’m obviously sorry to hear the case that the honourable gentleman has set out. I’m very happy to ensure that the case is looked into.”

Laird, from Tollcross, was sanctioned for not attending Jobcentre interviews, despite her doctor saying she wasn’t fit for work, and sending sick notes to the DWP.

She told The National’s sister paper, the Glasgow Evening Times, about her struggle and how she ended up in court after the change in benefits left her owing her local housing Association £900 in unpaid rent.

The mum depended on family, friends, and local food banks for emergency food aid.

Even when she started going back to the Jobcentre, the punitive punishment meant she still wasn’t being paid.

Laird told the paper that despite knowing she has been sanctioned and left with no money, no-one at the DWP has asked her how she is able to survive.

At the time a spokeswoman for the DWP said: “Only a small minority of Universal Credit claimants are sanctioned, and that only happens if someone doesn’t have a good reason for falling short of their claimant commitment.

“Work coaches support claimants to meet their requirements, and people are given every opportunity to explain why they have failed to do so before a decision is made.”

In a rowdy session of PMQs, dominated by Brexit and the collapse of Carillion, there was hush and audible shock when East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow MP Lisa Cameron raised the case of a constituent “repeatedly raped and beaten by her ex-partner” coming up against the heartless bureaucracy of a high street bank.

Cameron’s constituent was forced to take out an injunction against the partner. But when she tried to close their joint account, the bank said no “unless she attended with the perpetrator” who had abused her.

The MP asked May: “When banks are left to their own discretion, women’s lives are put at risk. Will the Prime Minister ensure policy to protect survivors is included in the pending domestic violence Bill?”

The Prime Minister promised to look into it: “We want to ensure that we give proper support to all those who have been subject to domestic violence or to abuse of the kind to which the honourable lady has referred.

“The Home Secretary will be issuing a consultation shortly on the proposed domestic violence legislation and that will be an opportunity for issues such as this to be raised.”

The new Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech last year.