A FIRM accused of bringing misery to thousands of benefit claimants is to have its progress examined monthly by Swindon Council's cabinet.

And leaders of all three political parties were today planning to voice their concerns to senior executives.

WS Atkins was contracted by Swindon Council in 1999 to handle payments such as housing benefit.

By June, its performance had deteriorated to such an extent that, on one day alone, the council's switchboard was jammed by 3,000 complaints.

The Evening Advertiser highlighted many cases, including that of mugging victim Don Bryden, whose injuries forced him out of his job. Mr Bryden, wife Sarah and two children almost lost their home when WS Atkins failed to send a housing benefit cheque.

In September, the firm agreed to produce a schedule of service improvements. The document was presented to the council's cabinet last night. It revealed that, as of October 15, the number of pieces of work in progress had dipped below 2,000 the target set for WS Atkins by the council.

At the meeting, councillors studied a pledge by the company to improve its service in dozens of areas, ranging from staff training to performance monitoring.

The cabinet then agreed that progress should be checked monthly. Non-cabinet member Coun Barrie Thompson (Lab, Parks) was given permission to speak as his ward includes many people affected by the perform- ance of the benefits firm.

He said: "The amount of distress the delays are causing is tremendous. Councillors have had telephone calls from tearful elderly people just before I came out, I switched on my answer- phone and heard of what sounds like another case.

Council leader Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawn), said: "We are talking about very vulnerable people."

On hearing from an official that senior WS Atkins executives were due to meet Swindon staff today, Coun Bawden suggested that leaders of all three political parties should hold talks with them.