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

WPSC report, Health assessments for benefits
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1468/health-assessments-for-benefits/news/194649/benefits-health-assessments-system-continues-to-let-people-down-say-mps/

Rightsnet story: https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/waiting-years-to-implement-changes-to-benefit-health-assessments-wont-cut-it-when-quicker-wins-are-available-say-mps

Of particular relevance to this thread:
- para.24, data on deaths and serious harms
- para.34, safeguarding, awareness and training
- para.117, advocacy
- annex 1, summary of survey responses

Tracked Internal Process Review recommendations: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/internal_process_review_recommen?nocache=incoming-2299314#incoming-2299314

The response letter lists the fields tracked as part of DWP’s IPR tracking as follows:
• Ref Number
• IPRG date
• Status
• Key Finding
• Action for IPRG
• Case(s)
• Product Line
• Owner
• Owner Business Area
• Improvement under way
• High Level Update
• Notes

I’ve attached the previous FOI response here (not available on whatdotheyknow), I’ve split it into two due to Rightsnet rules on the size of uploaded attachments. This enables a comparison of progress.

Readers may also have seen recent reporting of an FOI response to DNS (and I think George Greenwood at The Times may have gotten a similar response): https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/secret-dwp-reports-link-more-deaths-with-systemic-flaws/

Second half of annex A

Some news stories from DNS:
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/errol-graham-dwp-criticised-by-report-into-disabled-mans-starvation-death/
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/errol-graham-dwp-hid-key-evidence-from-inquiry-into-starvation-death/

Nottingham City’s SAR, mentioned in the stories, is here: https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/media/3377147/billy-final-sar-for-publication-11th-may-2023.pdf

Another SAR

https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/media/3377231/sar-valentina-final-for-publication-may-2023.pdf 
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/disabled-mum-took-her-own-life-after-actions-of-dwp-and-capita-magnified-anxiety/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001mck1/broadcasts/upcoming

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-06-06/debates/086EF28F-7C31-4AF3-93B8-F24B83B807D8/ErrolGrahamDWPAndSafeguardingAdultsBoardInquiry

- DWP accepts the recommendation in the Errol Graham SAR
- an explanation from DWP as to why the 2014 documents were not provided to the reviewer
- Tom Pursglove will meet with Rethink and a representative of bereaved families

Following on from the last post - Tom Pursglove mentioned in the Commons that PHSO looks into cases where there have been failures.  There’s been a recent PHSO decision involving FTA WCA ending ESA without applying safeguarding procedures and a claimant being left without sufficient food as a result. 

Confusingly PHSO refer to DWP having sanctioned the claimant although I can’t see that the case involves sanctioning at all. 

I feel like the reasoning at 52-54 of ‘findings’ is something I’ve seen before from the PHSO but I don’t have time to trawl past decisions to check whether I’m right about that. 

There’s also a reference to the six point plan not being followed but, because the claimant didn’t ask PHSO to look into this, the PHSO did not consider the issue.

https://decisions.ombudsman.org.uk/report/?id=078e1bd7-87ff-ed11-8f6c-00224840d396

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-06-07/hl8278
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-06-07/hl8274

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/40519/documents/197649/default/

IPRs, the proposed s.23 agreement, and various other things: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/164/work-and-pensions-committee/news/195982/health-assessments-for-benefits-work-and-pensions-committee-publishes-government-response-to-report/

Owen_Stevens - 06 January 2022 04:21 PM

The following are links to PFDs sent to DWP regarding the Child Maintenance Service and the Health and Safety Executive:
https://www.judiciary.uk/publications/zane-gbangbola/
https://www.judiciary.uk/publications/kenneth-bardsley/
https://www.judiciary.uk/publications/emma-day-prevention-of-future-deaths-report/

https://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2023-0539/MfL_response_to_Baroness_Berridge_100523.pdf

Info on IPRs and Serious Case Panel at pp.64 & 66 of the web-ready PDF https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/mps-launch-inquiry-into-dwp-safeguarding-after-decade-of-deaths/

Deadline 13/10/23
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7866/safeguarding-vulnerable-claimants/
https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/3210
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/164/work-and-pensions-committee/news/196618/safeguarding-vulnerable-claimants-work-and-pensions-committee-launches-new-inquiry/