Latest news with #ErrolGraham
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
DWP told to make major changes after three tragic claimant deaths
Three people died in cases that could have been prevented, a committee found. Some PIP claimants said that their claims had been ended without them being told Public trust in the DWP has been "sorely damaged" after major failures where some benefits claimants died after struggling to use the system. MPs are calling for new safeguarding laws to ensure the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides proper support, after hearing of cases where claimants died. These included Universal Credit applicant Kevin Gale, who committed suicide after his depression and anxiety were allegedly made worse by struggling with the application process, and ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) claimant Errol Graham who starved to death eight months after their benefits stopped. An inquiry by the Work and Pensions Committee found that the measures in place to help vulnerable claimants were "disparate". They have called for a new category of 'victims of domestic abuse' to be added to the 'Additional Support Area' in Universal Credit, to help DWP staff identify vulnerable claimants. The committee said the lack of this category was a "glaring omission". Committee chair Debbie Abrahams said it was a clear failure of the safeguarding system that people had to "face harm" after dealing with the DWP. She said: "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." One vulnerable PIP (Personal Independence Payment) claimant said that dealing with the DWP was a "nightmare" and that some people were afraid of applying for PIP - leading to them working longer hours than appropriate given their medical condition. PIP is intended to help cover the extra costs that a person has due to their health condition or disability. The benefit includes a daily living part and a mobility part, with a lower and higher rate for each element depending on your level of need. The committee's report said others were put off applying for PIP as they had helped others with their application and decided they "didn't want to go through the process". Some PIP claimants reported that their claims had been closed without them being informed, while others said that the ESA and Universal Credit teams "didn't talk to each other", the report found. The DWP is currently undertaking a major programme of reforms, with plans to revise the PIP assessment. The Work CapabilIity Assessment will also be scrapped - an assessment used to determine a benefit claimants ability to work and to what extent they should be required to look for work. This will be replaced by a single assessment based on the PIP assessment. DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms told the committee there are plans to reform the DWP's approach to safeguarding. He said: "There is a change of approach. What we want is for trust in the department to be rebuilt. I think everybody would acknowledge that trust in the department has been at quite a low level. We need to be much more open than has been the case in the past." He also told the MPs: "The department has used the word 'safeguarding' in the past, but a former minister banned the use of the term in the department at all, so we will reintroduce it. We think it is a good word and a word that we should be clear about what it means and how we seek to deliver it." Three tragedies uncovered by inquiry Three cases were highlighted at the inquiry. One was a tragic case of starvation. The other two were suicides. The words below are taken from the report Errol Graham - "died by starvation in 2018, eight months after his Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) was stopped. The coroner at the inquest found there had been a series of missed opportunities to share information between agencies, and had information been shared, support for Mr Graham may have been mobilised. The coroner said, '[T]he safety net that should surround vulnerable people like [Mr Graham] in our society had holes within it'." Philippa Day - "died by suicide in 2019 after a series of errors with her disability benefit payments. Philippa Day was seriously affected by a range of complex and comorbid mental and physical health conditions. The narrative conclusion of the coroner's inquest stated, '[T]he failure to administer the claim in such a way as to avoid exacerbating Philippa Day's pre-existing mental health problems was the predominant factor, save for her severe mental illness, affecting a decision taken by Philippa Day to take an overdose of her prescribed insulin'. The coroner highlighted problems relating to training for DWP call handlers; records of call handling; and issues around health assessments. Kevin Gale - "died by suicide in 2022. Mr Gale had been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety and his anxiety had been exacerbated by his application for Universal Credit. The coroner highlighted as matters of concern, that 'current DWP procedures may not be practical for those with mental health illness and can exacerbate symptoms'. The coroner heard evidence relating to the number and length of DWP forms claimants were required to complete; the length of telephone queues to speak to DWP advisers; and the requirement to travel long distances for appointments for people affected by mental health illness." If you need someone to talk to, you can contact The Samaritans by calling 116 123.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
MPs call for increased protections for vulnerable benefit claimants
A cross-party committee of MPs has called for greater protections for vulnerable benefit claimants after hundreds of cases of deaths and serious harms linked to safeguarding failures by welfare officials. The work and pensions select committee said many of these cases, which include instances where claimants took their own lives, could have been prevented had the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) discharged its responsibilities effectively. It cited the cases of Errol Graham, a disabled man with a long history of mental illness, who starved to death in 2018 after his benefits were cut off, and Philippa Day, a mother wrongly deprived of disability benefits for months, who died in 2019 after taking an overdose. In both instances, coroners identified failures by DWP officials to properly take into account the acute difficulties both claimants faced in engaging with a benefits system they had found to be alienating and unsupportive. These high-profile cases, and the DWP's prioritisation of cost-cutting over 'genuine care and support' for vulnerable people in recent years, had 'sorely damaged' public and claimant trust in the system, the committee said. It published testimonies from benefit claimants saying their interactions with the DWP made them anxious, stressed and traumatised. One said it felt as if 'a system that is meant to wrap its arms around us is strangling us'. Social security policies such as benefit sanctions and deductions were too often misapplied to vulnerable claimants, the committee said, leaving those individuals facing substantial hardship and putting them at risk of harm. The committee chair, Labour's Debbie Abrahams, said 'deep-rooted' cultural change in the DWP was desperately needed to improve its treatment of vulnerable claimants. 'That people continue to face harm after dealing with the DWP is a self-evident failure of safeguarding in the system,' she said. 'We heard evidence that the process 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.' Since 2020 at least 240 internal DWP reviews have been carried out into deaths or cases of serious harms where actions or omissions by officials may have been a factor, the committee said. On nine occasions since 2013, coroners have issued the DWP with formal reports recommending action to prevent future claimant deaths. However, the impact of DWP safeguarding deficiencies was not properly understood within the department, the committee concluded. 'We remain concerned that the true scale of deaths and serious harms of vulnerable claimants is currently unknown,' it said. The committee called for an independent scrutiny body to be created to investigate serious safeguarding failures and take appropriate action, amid concerns that the DWP was 'marking its own homework' over cases it may have mishandled. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The committee recommended that a legal duty to safeguard vulnerable claimants should be imposed on the DWP. Although in the past ministers have resisted the suggestion, the work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, told MPs last November she was open to the idea. 'A statutory safeguarding duty would help to drive and embed culture change in the department, support the consistent delivery of safeguarding practices, and improve accountability should failures occur,' the committee said. The chief executive of the charity Rethink Mental Illness, Mark Winstanley, said a statutory DWP safeguarding duty would improve accountability. 'For too long, vulnerable people living with mental illness have suffered devastating harm and lost their lives due to failures in the benefits system,' he said. A DWP spokesperson said: 'This government is committed to protecting the people who use our services and fixing the broken welfare system we inherited so it works for those who need it. That's why we are currently consulting on a new safeguarding approach, and our reforms will improve people's lives and rebuild trust by establishing an approach that genuinely supports vulnerable people. 'As we deliver our plan for change, we encourage people to have their voices heard through our consultation so we can build a safeguarding approach that works better for all.'
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
DWP should have legal duty to look after vulnerable benefits claimants, say MPs
A legal duty to look after vulnerable people who are claiming benefits must be introduced at the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), a group of MPs has said. Ministers should introduce the statutory duty to prevent people from dying or coming to harm as a result of mistakes in the welfare system, the Commons Work and Pensions Committee said in its latest report. The committee's latest recommendations come after several high-profile deaths of vulnerable people following their interaction with the benefits system. Among those named in the report is Errol Graham, who starved to death in 2018, months after his disability benefit payments were stopped. Meanwhile, Debbie Abrahams, the committee's Labour chairwoman, suggested an 'unhelpful media narrative' about benefits claimants and 'cost-cutting drives' continues to sow distrust in the DWP. The report comes at a time when the Government is pushing for reforms aimed at reducing the number of welfare claimants by getting more people currently on benefits into work. 'Cost-effectiveness and efforts to move people into work had been prioritised, or been perceived to be prioritised, over providing genuine care and support to vulnerable people,' the report said. At the same time, claimants have reported 'feeling undeserving of support, or fearful of the DWP'. A 'deep-rooted cultural change' is needed, according to the report, which recommended a change in the law so that the DWP has to help claimants who are vulnerable get help from other branches of Government, like the health service. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall should make a statement in the House of Commons setting out a new approach to safeguarding once the ongoing benefits review is finished, the MPs said. A statutory duty of care would be a 'significant undertaking for the DWP', the report acknowledged, but it claimed the current approach is not working, and there are a 'stubbornly high' number of cases where vulnerable clients have come to harm. Some 240 internal reviews have been started by the DWP since the 2020-21 year, into cases where there has been serious harm, or where there are allegations that the department's actions have led to death or harm. However, the committee suggested the 'true scale of deaths and serious harms of vulnerable claimants is currently unknown'. Ms Abrahams said: '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.' While the committee members had been 'heartened' by evidence they heard from the Work and Pensions Secretary on moves to improve safeguarding, Ms Abrahams added: '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.' The report also contains a warning for ministers about moves to cut costs in the benefits system. 'Incorrectly applied, policies intended to drive claimant behaviour and deliver value for money, such as sanctions and deductions, can create and exacerbate vulnerabilities,' it said. Mark Winstanley, chief executive of the charity Rethink Mental Illness, gave his support to the committee's recommendations. 'For too long, vulnerable people living with mental illness have suffered devastating harm and lost their lives due to failures in the benefits system,' he said. 'If implemented, a statutory duty for the DWP to safeguard vulnerable claimants would be a crucial step towards real accountability, something we and other committed campaigners have advocated for. 'Like our NHS, the benefits system was set up to support those in need, yet without legal safeguards a punitive and harmful approach has gone unchecked, with little transparency on whether lessons have been learned from past tragedies. 'The Government has pledged to renew its focus on safeguarding – this must include a statutory duty for the DWP to safeguard vulnerable claimants that prioritises the wellbeing of people affected by mental illness in every policy and decision.' A DWP spokesperson said: 'This Government is committed to protecting the people who use our services and fixing the broken welfare system we inherited so it works for those who need it. 'That's why we are currently consulting on a new safeguarding approach, and our reforms will improve people's lives and rebuild trust, by establishing an approach that genuinely supports vulnerable people. 'As we deliver our Plan for Change, we encourage people to have their voices heard through our consultation so we can build a safeguarding approach that works better for all.'
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Overhaul benefit system to protect vulnerable claimants, urge MPs
MPs are calling for a change in the law to prevent benefit claimants from suffering harm at the hands of the government department that is meant to help people have died in recent years after failures by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).A cross-party committee of MPs says new legislation and "deep-rooted cultural change" at the DWP are needed to protect vulnerable clients.A DWP spokesperson said the government was "currently consulting on a new safeguarding approach" which "genuinely supports vulnerable people". In recent years, the deaths of Errol Graham, Philippa Day and Kevin Gale have seen the DWP widely criticized for its handling of vulnerable clients. Mr Graham, who suffered from severe mental health problems, weighed just four-and-a-half stone when he died in 2018 after his benefits were wrongly stoppedIn 2019, a coroner found that Ms Day took her own life after her benefits were cut in error Kevin Gale died by suicide in 2022, having been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety, exacerbated by his universal credit application In Mr Gale's case, the coroner highlighted "that current DWP procedures may not be practical for those with mental health illness and can exacerbate symptoms". The inquest heard of the number and length of DWP forms that claimants were required to complete, the length of telephone queues for DWP advisers, and the requirement to travel long distances for appointments for people affected by mental health illness. Thursday's report, from the Work and Pensions Select Committee, reveals the deaths of at least 274 people have been investigated internally by the DWP in since April inquiries - Internal Process Reviews - are launched when there is an allegation that a case has been mishandled by the DWP which has potentially contributed to serious harm or a safeguarding concern. During the same period, 58 reviews were opened into cases where customers suffered harm - but the MPs said the scale of the failings was likely to be greater."That people continue to face harm after dealing with the DWP is a self-evident failure of safeguarding in the system," said committee chair Debbie Abrahams MP. "Until recently, getting people back into work to cut costs had been prioritised over providing support and care for vulnerable people," Ms Abrahams added. "We heard evidence that the process of engaging with the DWP... too often led to mental distress."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." A new law, holding the secretary of state accountable for safeguarding clients, would ensure that everyone saw it as their responsibility to protect claimants, says the committee. 'Nasty and traumatic' Carl, 44, a former roofer from Croydon, south London, said his first interaction with the DWP "felt quite a nasty and traumatic experience".He had struggled for 18 months with a degenerative back condition that had left him with mobility issues and constant pain, requiring strong painkillers. In 2018, after trying a variety of less manual roles, such as plastering and carpet fitting, he realised he could no longer hold down a applied for universal credit, his first ever benefit application, which led to an appointment at his local job centre. Carl says the work coach was "very dismissive and patronising"."He said: 'If you want money from us, you're going to have to jump through these hoops.' "It almost felt like he was trying to imply that I was being dishonest and I was putting it on. "It was a very uncaring response. I wanted support to get a non-manual job." 'Absolutely life-changing' Shannon Johnstone, 28, who found herself sleeping rough about seven years ago before turning to the DWP for help, said the recommendations "are going to be absolutely life-changing for people... if they're done right". At the start of her claim, she remembers the DWP told her: "We can't help with your homelessness," which she says was understandable but off-putting. She does not know if they referred her case to homeless organisations as she was never told. Now she welcomes the recommendation to include the views of people with lived experience in the design, planning and implementation of DWP policy. "People who have gone through the system understand what it feels like to be interviewed by a [DWP] inspector," says Shannon who now works for the charity, Expert Link."They understand what it's like to gather lots of paperwork, so by including them in the design of the system, it's going to work so much better." In a statement, the DWP said the government was committed to protecting the people who use its services "and fixing the broken welfare system we inherited so it works for those who need it". "That's why we are currently consulting on a new safeguarding approach and our reforms will improve people's lives and rebuild trust, by establishing an approach that genuinely supports vulnerable people."The spokesperson added that the government was encouraging people to have their voices heard in the consultation and help build a system "that works better for all".
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
DWP should have legal duty to look after benefits claimants, MPs say after woman's body lay undiscovered for three years
A legal duty to look after vulnerable people who are claiming benefits must be introduced at the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) after a string of deaths, a group of MPs has said. Ministers should introduce the statutory duty to prevent people from dying or coming to harm as a result of mistakes in the welfare system, the Commons Work and Pensions Committee said in its latest report. The report comes after a number of vulnerable people died following their interaction with the benefits system. In one case highlighted by MPs, Errol Graham starved to death in 2018 months after his disability benefit payments were stopped. He had been suffering severe mental health problems and his out-of-work disability benefits were wrongly stopped, leaving him without any income. In another case, Laura Winham, 38, lay dead in her flat for three years after her disability benefits were cut off and she stopped buying food. The DWP cut off her benefits when Disability Living Allowance was moved over to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). They sent Ms Winham a letter about the change in February 2016 and asked her to reapply for PIP, and sent a follow-up letter the following month when they received no response. A coroner concluded earlier this year that there was a 'lost opportunity to proactively investigate' why Ms Winham had not responded. A statutory duty of care would be a 'significant undertaking for the DWP', the MPs' report acknowledged, but it claimed the current approach is not working, and there are a 'stubbornly high' number of cases where vulnerable clients have come to harm. Some 240 internal reviews have been started by the DWP since the 2020-21 year, into cases where there has been serious harm, or where there are allegations that the department's actions have led to death or harm. However, the committee suggested the 'true scale of deaths and serious harms of vulnerable claimants is currently unknown'. The report also named Philippa Day, who was 27 when she took her own life. She had been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder and was agoraphobic, and felt she could not leave the house for a benefits assessment. Her weekly benefits payment was reduced and she was found dead with a letter beside her from Capita, who had been contracted by the DWP, refusing her a home assessment visit. The report also contains a warning for ministers about moves to cut costs in the benefits system. Debbie Abrahams, the committee's Labour chairwoman, suggested an 'unhelpful media narrative' about benefits claimants and 'cost-cutting drives' continues to sow distrust in the DWP. The report comes at a time when the government is pushing for reforms aimed at reducing the number of welfare claimants by getting more people currently on benefits into work. 'Cost-effectiveness and efforts to move people into work had been prioritised, or been perceived to be prioritised, over providing genuine care and support to vulnerable people,' the report said. A DWP spokesperson said: 'This government is committed to protecting the people who use our services and fixing the broken welfare system we inherited so it works for those who need it. 'That's why we are currently consulting on a new safeguarding approach, and our reforms will improve people's lives and rebuild trust by establishing an approach that genuinely supports vulnerable people.' If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@ or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
