What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Auditors are looking into what data the Department for Work and Pensions holds on cases of suicides of people caught up in the benefit system.

The National Audit Office is speaking to welfare chiefs after they refused to say how many inquests of people who took their own lives had taken evidence from the DWP.

Frank Field, chairman of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee, asked for the information last month in a bid to understand any possible link between suicide and the benefit system.

The ex-Labour MP asked for the number of inquests since 2013 that returned a verdict of suicide had taken evidence from the DWP.

He also asked for the number of inquests in which "it was ruled that the policies of the DWP were partly responsible for the deceased person’s state of mind."

Ministers said the information was not held centrally and would cost more than a £850 cost threshold to retrieve.

So Mr Field referred the case to Gareth Davies, head of the NAO. He confirmed last week: "Clearly this is a very important and serious topic.

"I propose to engage with the DWP to establish what information it holds, how that information is produced, and how it is stored, accessed and used.

"Hopefully this will help you understand the DWP's response to your question."

Mr Field said: "I struggle to believe that, given the amount of time it must take to put together evidence for inquests, attend court hearings, and internally review the decisions to see what part the DWP policy may have played in a claimant taking their own life, there is no record of such.

"It shocks me even more that the Department is apparently unconcerned with the most drastic effects of its policies and conducts no internal monitoring of the tragedies in which it could be complicit.

“What does it tell us that DWP does not collect this data?"

A DWP spokeswoman said: “The death of a claimant is always a tragedy and whilst this is not an inquiry, we will engage with the NAO on this important topic.”

The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.