DWP fails to meet Information Commissioner deadline for possible benefit related deaths

DWP and Capita responsesto the Philippa Day PFD , both dated 12/4/21, have now been uploaded : https://www.judiciary.uk/publications/philippa-day/

Edit: Rightsnet summary here o https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/dwp-and-capita-publish-responses-to-coroners-report-to-prevent-future-deaths-following-findings-that-their-failings-contributed-to-death-of-claimant

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-admits-carrying-out-more-than-175-secret-reviews-into-benefit-deaths-in-nine-years/

Following on from this ICE decision notice (in which DWP state that in the first year of the review of safeguards (referred to at Errol Graham’s inquest) there was no dedicated business unit responsible for the review, the ‘review’ was not a formal review and had no terms of reference, no scoping paper or plan, no consolidated report, and there are limited handwritten records of proceedings): https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2021/2619540/ic-48363-c8q5.pdf

DWP have provided further responses after the ICE decision.  Attached is the only document which, according to DWP, might resemble a terms of reference for the review.  I’ve not attached annex B as it has already been uploaded elsewhere

Some DNS news stories on the Jodey Whiting case:
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/jodey-whiting-dwp-tells-high-court-her-death-was-isolated-case-and-not-sign-of-systemic-failure-despite-years-of-evidence/
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/jodey-whiting-judge-asks-why-dwp-failed-to-pick-up-a-phone-before-claimants-suicide/
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/jodey-whiting-fresh-evidence-shows-need-for-second-inquest-into-death-caused-by-dwp/

I had been under the impression that IPRs do not examine government policy, I suspect that in practice I am correct to think this - however the attachments seem to show that DWP have amended IPR guidance in such a way that suggests that policy is now within the scope of IPRs.

BBC reporting: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57726608

I think this arises from this written PQ: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-06-23/21211/

Rethink report released today: ‘Tip of the Iceberg? Deaths and Serious Harm in the Benefits System’

Rethink are calling on the Government to:
▪ establish a full public inquiry into benefit related deaths and cases of serious harm and;
▪ set up an independent body to investigate future cases of death or serious harm in the benefits system

Rethink state that they “believe that the small number of cases that have received national media attention are just the tip of the iceberg. Therefore, our call to action will be to ask people via a survey to share their stories with us about how the DWP has been implicated in death or serious harm – to themselves or their loved ones. We will be asking people who do not have personal experience to share our call for action on social media, to help us reach as many people as possible.” The link to the survey is http://www.rethink.org/stopbenefitdeaths/survey

They are raising awareness of the campaign via social media, here’s a twitter link: https://twitter.com/Rethink_/status/1417398285522853903

Rightsnet article: https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/bereaved-families-call-on-dwp-to-set-up-a-full-public-inquiry-into-cases-of-benefit-deaths-and-serious-harm

The Rethink campaign has been covered in the press here:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-9804547/Bereaved-families-call-public-inquiry-deaths-benefits-claimants.html
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/government-esa-b946619.html

And Leigh Day have posted this: https://www.leighday.co.uk/latest-updates/news/2021-news/lawyers-back-bereaved-families-call-for-public-inquiry-into-deaths-of-benefits-claimants/

PFD regarding a case in which the Coroner concluded that there was a system failure in Child Maintenance Service of Department of Work and Pensions in handling reports of domestic violence. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Emma-Day-Prevention-of-future-deaths-report-2021-0263_Published.pdf

A new Welfare Rights Bulletin article: https://askcpag.org.uk/content/207215/holes-in-the-safety-net-benefits-and-claimant-deaths

Edited to update the link

Owen_Stevens - 10 August 2021 01:37 PM

PFD regarding a case in which the Coroner concluded that there was a system failure in Child Maintenance Service of Department of Work and Pensions in handling reports of domestic violence. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Emma-Day-Prevention-of-future-deaths-report-2021-0263_Published.pdf

DWP says the CMS has strengthened it’s processes and has commissioned an independent review of ways in which the CMS supports victims of domestic abuse - the details of which will be outlined in due course.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-08-18/40577

This is from April 21: https://www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/inquest-murder-emma-day-her-former-partner-concludes-coroner-notes-systemic-failures-mps-and

High Court rejects application for second Jodey Whiting inquest

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2021/2511.html

https://www.leighday.co.uk/latest-updates/news/2021-news/high-court-rejects-application-for-second-jodey-whiting-inquest/

Rightsnet write up: https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/high-court-rejects-application-for-second-inquest-into-death-of-jodey-whiting

BBC news article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-58596057

Statement from Rethink: https://twitter.com/Rethink_/status/1438880406896402442

New regs to enable the payment of large amounts of arrears in instalments: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/1065/contents/made

The explanatory memorandum specifically states that these regs are being made with the department’s most vulnerable claimants, including those with addiction problems, in mind: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/1065/pdfs/uksiem_20211065_en.pdf

Presumably this is a result of the PFD sent to DWP following the death of Alexander Boamah: https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/9149/P135/#82129

edit - some background available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1022486/ssac-minutes-21-july-2021.pdf

Jodey Whiting, application for permission to appeal
https://www.leighday.co.uk/latest-updates/news/2021-news/high-court-asked-to-look-again-at-second-jodey-whiting-inquest-decision/