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Benefit Safeguards - policy issues
Owen_Stevens - 06 December 2021 10:16 AMDWP are recruiting ACSSLs
DWP are recruiting ACSSLs again
Nothing particularly new here, I just feel it’s interesting to have a record of the specs over time
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Welfare Rights Service, Angus Council, Forfar
Total Posts: 1
Joined: 8 January 2015
Owen_Stevens - 07 October 2024 09:30 AMOwen_Stevens - 06 December 2021 10:16 AMDWP are recruiting ACSSLs
DWP are recruiting ACSSLs again
Nothing particularly new here, I just feel it’s interesting to have a record of the specs over time
Is there an up to date list of ACSSL escalation routes that could be emailed to me please?
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Money & Energy Advice Service, Kidney Care UK
Total Posts: 2
Joined: 2 July 2024
Hi, I’m looking for a copy of the list of ACSSL escalation routes for the DWP. Used my previous login to post. Apologies as I thought this login was deleted. I have moved organisations and this list would be helpful as I am having issues with Universal Credit for a number of my client’s who are very vulnerable patients.
These attachments relate to this request: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/areas_of_concern#outgoing-1255596
File Attachments
- Doc_2_(redacted).pdf (File Size: 3738KB - Downloads: 65)
- Response_4_November_24.pdf (File Size: 116KB - Downloads: 53)
- Doc_1.pdf (File Size: 140KB - Downloads: 59)
second set of attachments
File Attachments
- Doc_3_(redacted).pdf (File Size: 2609KB - Downloads: 56)
- Doc_4_(redacted).pdf (File Size: 1138KB - Downloads: 55)
third set
File Attachments
- Doc_5_(redacted).pdf (File Size: 1473KB - Downloads: 68)
- Doc_6_(redacted).pdf (File Size: 1466KB - Downloads: 64)
Found another of your FOIs today, Owen. I trust you won’t mind me adding the DWP response here?
DWP provided the walk-throughs/guidance for ‘Reducing Benefit’ and ‘Stopping Payments’ referred to in its Advanced Customer Support Hub document (released in a different FOI).
Early DWP reports on the Customer Support Standards: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/dwp_customer_support_standards?nocache=incoming-2869509#incoming-2869509
The cover letter refers to ‘relatively immature’ analysis techniques. There will presumably have been more recent reports along these lines which contain more mature analysis.
There’s some new written evidence on the WPSC’s page for the safeguarding vulnerable claimants inquiry: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7866/safeguarding-vulnerable-claimants/publications/written-evidence/
The publication comes ahead of the evidence session on the 8th: https://committees.parliament.uk/event/22879/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
ICE annual report https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-complaints-annual-report-by-the-independent-case-examiner-2023-to-2024
The ICE foreword provides some reflections arising from her appearance in front of the WPSC safeguarding vulnerable claimants inquiry, and notes that in many of the cases she’s seen the problem has often been that DWP have failed to follow their own processses and procedures. She also touches on debt recovery.
The SIOs, at the end of the report, are worth reading. Among them, SIO 1 talks about inhibiting automatic debt recovery letters, SIO 2 refers to a commission to improve guidance on checking vulnerability, and SIO 3 talks about the RRT and vulnerability checks (on which see https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/change_regarding_approach_to_sus ).
[Shawn updated link to the rightsnet story]
[ Edited: 6 Jan 2025 at 02:14 pm by shawn mach ]Owen_Stevens - 06 January 2025 09:32 AMThere’s some new written evidence on the WPSC’s page for the safeguarding vulnerable claimants inquiry: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7866/safeguarding-vulnerable-claimants/publications/written-evidence/
The CAB evidence contains some striking case studies regarding the Enhanced Review Team.
A summary note of a private WPSC session with Department for Work and Pensions officials and Advanced Customer Support Senior Leaders can be found here (including an explanation for the withdrawal of the public email for ACSSLs - which I suspect is not likely to be based on any robust analysis, and likely in the absence of any consideration as to how to work with partners to improve the situation): https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/133308/default/
FOI response includes guidance relating to vulnerable customers including -
*referral process to ACSSL (Annex A )
*guidance on ACSSL role (Annex B
*training materials
Transcript of the WPSC session of the 8th is now available:
https://committees.parliament.uk/event/22879/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/15196/pdf/
Some notes on the evidence session of the Chief Medical Advisor of the DWP, Dr Gail Allsop:
Q24 - mentions a clinical safeguarding review and subsequent report, the creation of a clinical safeguarding policy, changes to training, and a cross government safeguarding group
Q25 - mentions a clinical governance process, and that providers are being allowed 12 months to come up to speed
Q27 - states that DWP does not receive many PFD reports and so it is hard to pick out trends. Mentions that a clinical governance board was set up as part of the clinical governance review
Q29 - mentions a clinical policy sub-group, the clinical policy expert group, which passes lessons learned to operational and policy teams and to providers
Q30 - from this month the clinical governance board has sight of the implementation of actions taken following PFDs
Qs39 & 40 - Dr GA’s perspective on the significance of PFDs as compared to other sources of information. Appears to downplay the significance of other sources of information relating to deaths (e.g. reports by safeguarding adults boards) and reports which can also touch on serious harm (e.g. DWP internal process reviews).
DNS write ups:
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwps-chief-medical-adviser-dismisses-importance-of-her-own-departments-reviews-into-benefit-deaths/
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/concern-over-gaps-in-safety-role-of-dwps-chief-medical-adviser/
(edit to note that the clinical governance board is not mentioned in the latest DWP ARA or on the DWP’s governance page on gov.uk)
[ Edited: 14 Jan 2025 at 10:27 am by Owen_Stevens ]
Owen_Stevens - 23 December 2024 10:51 AMEarly DWP reports on the Customer Support Standards: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/dwp_customer_support_standards?nocache=incoming-2869509#incoming-2869509
The cover letter refers to ‘relatively immature’ analysis techniques. There will presumably have been more recent reports along these lines which contain more mature analysis.