Amber Rudd won't comment on Stephen Smith because he's an 'operational matter'

The Secretary of State for the government department that failed Liverpool man Stephen Smith so badly is yet to comment on the news that he has died.

After the ECHO first published the harrowing images of an emaciated Stephen and reported how he had been wrongly turned down for benefits and forced to fight a tribunal while he was in hospital, the welfare chief was asked about the case.

During a TV interview in February, Ms Rudd was asked about Stephen and offered a brief, vague response which stated: "I have seen the case and it is very upsetting. I have asked the department to look into it to see what didn't happen correctly and I will need to find out more about it."

Brick thrown through windscreen of car carrying mum and five-month-old baby 

Since that point we have heard nothing - and now Stephen is dead.

We don't know the exact reasons behind his death, but it would be reasonable to think the head of a government department that was known to have failed a vulnerable and seriously ill citizen shortly before his death may have had the courtesy to say something.

Work and Pensions secretary Amber Rudd (PA)

And its not like we haven't tried.

Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Owen Jones pile pressure on DWP over Stephen Smith treatment 

Yesterday we tried to reach her on twitter to ask whether she had come to any conclusions about 'what went wrong' in Stephen's case.

It got hundreds of retweets, but no response from the minister as yet.

And we tried the more traditional methods of contacting the DWP press office to ask for a specific response from the Secretary of State.

Man weighed six stone and was barely able to move

However, we were told that as this was an 'operational matter' it was only appropriate for the department to respond.

This is what they said:

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Smith at this difficult time.

“A review has been conducted into Mr Smith’s ESA claim and how this was handled, and we will continue to learn lessons to strengthen the assessment process.

“We are committed to ensuring that everyone with a health condition receives the support they are entitled to, and while assessments work well for the majority of claimants we are changing and improving how we support people with disabilities.”

Police chased Corsa through Kirkby after it failed to stop for them 

Amongst the many criticisms of the DWP's approach to people is that they are seen as mere numbers - with individual needs and vulnerabilities often overlooked.

That was clearly the case with Stephen Smith - so doesn't he deserve a more human response?

Doesn't his shocking case warrant a statement from the Secretary of State?

Other prominent politicians have spoken out...

Stephen Smith in hospital over the Christmas period (Liverpool Echo)

The department ignored doctors' letters that warned how his health could deteriorate if he was passed fit for work and explained how he could barely walk down the street.

Despite this they continued and a six-stone, suffering Stephen was forced to get a pass out of hospital to fight a tribunal to get hold of the cash he needed to survive.

Doesn't his memory warrant more than a generic statement from an unnamed spokesperson?

Ms Rudd said she wants to 'change the landscape for disabled people in Britain' - we think acknowledging what happened to Stephen Smith would be a good place to start.

To contribute to the community group that helped Stephen Smith overturn the DWP's decision, click here

  A man has died. A man who spent the final weeks of his life using what little strength he had to overturn a bizarre decision by the DWP to deny him crucial support that he deserved.