Forum Home → Discussion → Work capability issues and ESA → Thread
Benefit Safeguards - policy issues
Written evidence to the WPSC safeguarding inquiry: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7866/safeguarding-vulnerable-claimants/publications/written-evidence
Further evidence has been published, including DWP’s written evidence: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/125480/pdf/
(I’ve attached a PDF version, as I don’t seem to be able to archive the webpage on the Wayback Machine - the aim is to avoid losing access over time, changes to websites can mean that this information can become quite difficult to track down)
Rightsnet story on DWP’s written evidence: https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/dwp-sets-out-measures-it-has-in-place-to-support-vulnerable-claimants
[ Edited: 16 Nov 2023 at 03:29 pm by Owen_Stevens ]File Attachments
- DWP_written_evidence.pdf (File Size: 1723KB - Downloads: 47)
Transcript from the WPSC oral evidence session on 15/11/23 for its safeguarding vulnerable claimants inquiry: https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/13827/html/
forum member
Citizens Advice Bridport & District
Total Posts: 978
Joined: 9 January 2017
Q8 Selaine Saxby’s response in the light of 6.2m claimants - https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/constituency-data-universal-credit-roll-out/ and albeit Feb 2023 https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/what_is_the_current_ratio_of_wor_5#incoming-2362953 and a not dissimilar rural constituency West Dorset https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/996827/response/2362945/attach/3/Response%20FOI%2050538.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1 doesn’t stack up in terms of caseloads and staffing levels alone.
DWP Advanced Customer Support Standards: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/enhanced_quality_assurance_frame_4?nocache=incoming-2475534#incoming-2475534
Appear to be a way of evaluating DWP interactions with claimants.
DWP told stakeholders that the conversational platform will struggle to recognise speech if callers are distressed (e.g. crying). It is anticipated that if callers are struggling to make progress they will be routed to an outsourced agent (who has received training, including on safeguarding matters) capable of handing off to DWP