The Work and Pensions Committee has launched an inquiry examing
how DWP supports vulnerable benefit claimants and whether its
approach to safeguarding needs to change.
The inquiry has been launched after the number of Internal
Process Reviews (IPRs) carried out by DWP to investigate
allegations of inadequate case handling that may have resulted in
serious harm more than doubled in the three years from July 2019.
There have also been a number of individual cases which have
highlighted issues around safeguarding and the actions of DWP.
Vulnerable claimants may have difficulty in dealing with the
demands of DWP processes and claim requirements as a result of
their age, disability or being at risk of abuse or neglect. While
DWP have a number of measures in place to support and protect
vulnerable people, such as IPRs, DWP currently has no statutory
safeguarding duty.
The Committee held a one-off evidence session on how DWP learns
lessons from serious cases in July 2020, while the National Audit
Office has published two reports reflecting on the issues. The
inquiry will allow the Committee to follow-up on the progress
made by the Department in the last three years.
Rt Hon MP, Chair of the Work and
Pensions Committee, said:
“The steep rise in the number of reviews into internal processes
raises serious questions as to whether DWP is doing enough to
protect the wellbeing of the people who it is there to support.
“Our inquiry will examine what DWP is doing to ensure benefits
are accessible and claimants are protected from harm. It will
also look at whether the Department should have a statutory duty
when it comes to safeguarding and how it learns lessons to ensure
mistakes that affect some of the most vulnerable people in
society are not repeated.”
The Committee would welcome submissions covering all or some of
the following questions by Friday 13 October. The Committee is
looking to hear from people with lived experiences of these
issues and will also hold an event with claimants with additional
needs and their families to discuss the issues raised in the
inquiry. Further information on how to register interest will be
published shortly.
DWP’s responsibilities and accountability
1. DWP does not have a statutory duty to safeguard the well-being
of vulnerable claimants. Should this change?- If so, what should
this duty look like?
a. Is DWP adequately transparent about its safeguarding measures
for vulnerable claimants, including how the IPR process works and
what is done to implement lessons learned?
2. Is DWP adequately transparent about its safeguarding failures
to ensure it is held accountable?
Ensuring benefits are accessible
3. What are the main challenges that vulnerable claimants face
when trying to make a new benefit claim?
a. How effective is the Universal Credit “Help to Claim” service
at supporting vulnerable claimants to register a claim?
b. What should DWP do to improve support for vulnerable people to
make a claim and ensure they do not delay making a claim?
Preventing harm
4. What measures does DWP currently implement to ensure that
vulnerable claimants are safeguarded against harm? How successful
are these measures?
5. Do DWP have an adequate understanding of the vulnerable
claimants that use the benefit system and the support they
require?
a. Does DWP do enough to monitor the wellbeing of vulnerable
claimants
b. Does DWP have sufficient processes in place to ensure that
benefits are not withdrawn from vulnerable claimants when there
is a risk that this will cause serious harm to the claimant?
6. How successfully does DWP work with external agencies (such as
the NHS) to ensure that important information is shared between
organisations?
a. Is there a framework in place that enables DWP to review the
effectiveness of its cross-agency communication and
collaboration?
7. Is DWP’s staff guidance for dealing with vulnerable claimants,
including the Universal Credit Six Point Plan Framework,
adequate?
Reviewing failures in safeguarding
8. How successful is the Internal Process Review (IPR) process at
investigating allegations of case mishandling?
a. Are the Internal Process Review criteria for review
appropriate? How could the process for submitting a case for
review be improved?
9. Does DWP adequately implement lessons learned from IPRs to
ensure that mistakes are not repeated and that the safeguarding
process improves?
a. Does DWP have effective processes in place to identify and
address larger, systemic issues around safeguarding?
b. How effectively does this process communicate and share
learnings with other bodies involved in case reviews such as
Coroners and local Safeguarding Adults Boards?
