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DWP 'safeguards' demanded after tragic deaths of vulnerable benefit claimants
DWP 'safeguards' demanded after tragic deaths of vulnerable benefit claimants
A two-year inquiry by the Commons Work and Pensions Committee found some vulnerable claimants had 'paid the ultimate price' after being forced to deal with the Department for Work and Pensions
MPs heard that some vulnerable claimants had died as a result of DWP failures
(Image: Andrew Aitchison, In Pictures via Getty Images )
The parliamentary committee's extensive research into the calamitous impact of persistent cost-reductions at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has culminated in a significant report, advocating for fresh safeguarding protocols to avert "tragic deaths."
Following a two-year inquiry, the cross-party Work and Pensions committee has published the Safeguarding Vulnerable Claimants report, which was handed repeated evidence that some benefit claimants have suffered 'the ultimate price' in their interactions with the DWP, after having their payments cut.
The committee listened to testimonies suggesting that continuous budgetary cuts and efforts to push people into employment had created a sentiment among many that work had become more important than genuine assistance for those at risk.
The DWP's approach left numerous claimants "fearful" to engage, with one individual summarising the sentiment as "a system that is meant to wrap its arms around us is strangling us."
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A major cultural change is needed at the DWP, the report said
(Image: Jerome Ellerby )
To counteract these outcomes, the report implores that new statutory responsibilities be instated on the department to protect claimants, urging officials to proactively direct individuals to additional support avenues. Beyond these measures, the report calls for a far-reaching cultural shift within the DWP, essential for forestalling future fatalities linked to lack of monetary support.
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The absence of a coordinated approach to safeguarding those interacting with the benefits body was highlighted by MPs as an area needing improvement. The committee found no public webpage outlining the actual safeguarding policy, prompting calls for change.
The report also recommended mandatory health impact assessments from the DWP Chief Medical Advisor's team for any policy alterations.
Financial sanctions, one of the most contentious measures used to encourage benefit claimants into work, were identified as a "risk" in terms of safeguarding. In recent times, work coaches have been given more responsibility to use their judgement to prevent harm, leading to inevitable inconsistencies in safeguarding practices.
The committee expressed concern in its report about vulnerable claimants having to navigate through an "MP filter" during the arduous process of appealing benefits decisions. This requires them to get their local MP to refer their case in order to involve the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Many benefit claimants feel 'fearful' of contacting the DWP
The report also pointed out failures in adequately directing Brits to the full financial support they are entitled to when making a benefit claim. It further noted the absence of a specific category to guide victims of domestic abuse towards additional help when applying for Universal Credit.
A key recommendation from the committee was for coroners to more thoroughly investigate and document any links between changes in benefit entitlement and an individual's death.
Debbie Abrahams, Committee Chair and MP for Oldham, highlighted evidence suggesting that some claimants had 'paid the ultimate price' due to cost-cutting measures at the DWP. She stated: "That people continue to face harm after dealing with the DWP is a self-evident failure of safeguarding in the system.
"Until recently, getting people back into work to cut costs had been prioritised over providing support and care for vulnerable people.
"We heard evidence that the process itself of engaging with the DWP itself too often led to mental distress. Where this led to not being able to get financial support, many had paid the ultimate price."
Debbie Abrahams MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth and Chair of the Works and Pensions Committee
(Image: Philip Coburn/Daily Mirror )
Abrahams further commented: "We've heard that whilst some have been lifted by the system when it works well, this can depend on claimants' confidence that the system will help them. Too often, we heard their trust has been smashed by continual cost-cutting drives and an unhelpful media narrative.
"Many fear coming forward and expressing that they need additional support due to their circumstances and they fall deeper into vulnerability and despair as a result.
"This has to change. And the Committee was heartened by the evidence the Secretary of State gave to the Committee on this last November.
"Is this a system that is going to help people find their way back into sustainable work? Is this a system that will humanely support those who never can? Both need to happen.
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"Deep-rooted cultural change of the DWP is desperately needed to rebuild trust and put safeguarding at the heart of policy development.
"Introducing a statutory duty to safeguard vulnerable claimants for the Department is a fundamental part of this. It will help to focus minds from the top-down, ensuring that safeguarding is everyone's business; improving accountability, and ensure proactive identification of vulnerability and the consistent application of the best protective practices."
