Benefit Safeguards - policy issues

Owen_Stevens - 23 April 2024 12:35 PM

https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/work-and-pensions-committee-seeks-views-of-dwp-staff-to-inform-its-inquiry-into-departments-approach-to-safeguarding-vulnerable-claimants

Thanks for spotting it for us Owen .... cheers - Shawn

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45115/documents/223499/default/

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45118/documents/223502/default/

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45119/documents/223505/default/

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45120/documents/223509/default/

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45121/documents/223511/default/

https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/more-than-four-in-ten-front-line-dwp-staff-say-they-have-not-received-adequate-training-to-enable-them-to-deal-with-safeguarding-issues-appropriately

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-staff-tell-mps-after-years-of-deaths-we-dont-have-time-to-deal-with-safeguarding-carefully-and-correctly/

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/mps-forced-to-abandon-dwp-safeguarding-inquiry-after-sunaks-election-call/

Owen_Stevens - 11 March 2024 03:57 PM

Part of an earlier PMIU report: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/pmiu_reports#incoming-2585114

This story references the report linked in the quoted post: https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-cant-find-report-on-universal-credit-safety-that-pms-unit-told-it-to-write/

Touches on DWP safeguards: https://inequalities.substack.com/p/after-the-wca-incapacity-benefit-reform

The DWP website now lists the responsibilities of the newly appointed ministers. Interesting to note that Sir Stephen Timms, who - until recently - chaired the Work and Pensions Committee that opened an inquiry into safeguarding vulnerable claimants, has responsibility for the Serious Case Panel.  This means that it now falls under the responsibility of a Minister of State, having previously been listed as the responsibility of Viscount Younger, a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.

Perhaps also relevant to this thread, I’m not sure, is that Baroness Sherlock is listed as having responsibility for disadvantaged groups.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions

Some mentions of DWP in the second of these reports: https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/second-national-analysis-safeguarding-adult-reviews-april-2019-march-2023