A grieving mum has spoken of her upset after a letter from court officials referred to her dead son as Mr A. Deceased.

Her 44-year-old son had been appealing against a decision to cut his disability benefits.

But he passed away from respiratory failure and pneumonia before the hearing took place.

Our sister title Derbyshire Live reports that the woman, who asked not to be named, subsequently received a letter referring to the man as Mr A. Deceased and talking about his 'extinct' benefits.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service, who were dealing with the appeal, were responsible for sending out the correspondence.

The mother says she was appalled at the "insensitivity" of the letter.

She said: "It was extremely upsetting to witness a letter that only referred to my son as a national insurance number and tribunal reference.


"Losing your son is something no mother wants to experience.

"The least you expect is for the powers-that-be to display some common decency."

The blunder is now being looked into by officials to find out how it happened.


Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service chief executive Susan Acland-Hood said: "We are urgently investigating what has happened here.

"I regret the upset that this has caused and would like to apologise and express my deepest sympathy to the family. I will be writing to them shortly."

Colin Hampton, coordinator of Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centre, based in Chesterfield for nearly 35 years, had advised the mother that she was able to continue with the appeal on her son's behalf.

Mr Hampton said: "The way people are being denied benefit is carried out on an industrial scale.

"People have disability benefits assessed and then wrongly denied.

"The Department of Works and Pension hope that they do not appeal and take the financial hit that impacts on their lives.

"If they die, it appears inconsequential to them, they are merely collateral damage.

"That’s how a man becomes Mr.A Deceased."

A tribunal has now overturned the DWP's decision.