Family of teenager, 19, who died amid end-of-life legal battle with the NHS ... trends now
The government has been forced into a U-turn after demanding that the grieving family of a teen who died after spending a year in hospital pay back thousands of pounds in child care benefits.
The Mail revealed last week that Sudiksha Thirumalesh's parents Thirumalesh and Revathi had been left distraught after being told by officials to cough up over £8,000.
Their 19-year-old daughter, who suffered from a rare degenerative disease, died from a cardiac arrest last September as the family were locked in a costly end-of-life legal battle with the NHS.
The Department for Work and Pensions had claimed that the sick A-level student was not entitled to the Universal Credit paid before her death because she was in hospital for more than six months.
The devastated family's plea for leniency due to their tragic circumstances fell on deaf ears with officials telling them earlier this year that the decision still stands.
Sudiksha Thirumalesh (pictured) died from a cardiac arrest last September as the family were locked in a costly end-of-life legal battle with the NHS
Sudiksha's parents Thirumalesh and Revathi had been left distraught after being told by officials to cough up over £8,000.
However, the DWP was forced to launch an urgent review on Friday after the Mail published its story and the red-faced department has today conceded that the bill should be waived.
'Our sympathies are with Sudiksha Thirumalesh's loved ones. Following a review of this case, we have imposed a waiver and cancelled the overpayment,' a DWP spokesperson said.
Welcoming the move, her father Thirumalesh said: 'We are relieved and grateful that the DWP has seen sense in this matter and has done the right thing.
'We felt like we were being kicked while we were down and that it was a great injustice. This relieves some of the pressure on us.'
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre which is supporting the family, welcomed the DWP's swift response but said it 'should never have got this point'
'We are very pleased that the DWP has
