Figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that benefits assessors are once again failing disabled claimants. Even worse, the assessors who are putting vulnerable people at risk are getting away with it.
In a new report, the DWP admits that there were 767 concerning incidents reported in the first six months of the Functional Assessment Services from September 2024.
This saw the department hand new multi-billion contracts and farm out benefits assessments to Ingeus, Capita, Maximus, and Serco. It also managed the DWP’s own smaller clinical teams.
The assessors are contracted to carry out Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments and Work Capability Assessments (WCA) for Universal Credit (UC).
DWP failing vulnerable people, again
301 incidents were related to ‘information governance, ‘ which includes missing data, incorrect information recorded and data breaches. The fact that there’s no further elaboration into what these incidents were is especially concerning, as who knows what sensitive information could have been leaked and to whom.
Disgustingly, not one of these incidents was deemed important enough to be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
238 of the incidents were complaints against clinicians. As Benefits and Work states, the report gives barely any details about what the complaints were, so we don’t know the severity of them all. One ‘illustrative case example’ states:
A complaint was received stating assessor was late and abrupt. The complaint was investigated and upheld. The healthcare professional undertook further training and reflection and their work was monitored. No further issues have been identified.
However, the report also says:
100% were closed with reflective learning or policy updates, further support/ training and ongoing review.
So nobody faced any consequences for the way they treated vulnerable disabled people. Cool.
DWP doesn’t take safeguarding seriously
Just as worryingly, 152 incidents involved safeguarding. Typically, the examples given here are both cases where the safeguarding issue was identified by a second person after the first assessor missed it. The report does not mention the thousands of people who will slip through the net and have their needs ignored.
The DWP claims that just four of these incidents were serious enough to require action. But this only amounted to additional training or personal reflection from the healthcare professional. Yes really. According to them, no harm occurred to any claimant, but considering that we know the DWP phone lines leave claimants feeling suicidal, this feels unlikely.
The report also broke down the incident reports by provider. Of the 767, 507 incidents came from Ingenus. However, the report has an excuse for this, too. You see, it’s based on the companies self reporting, and Ingenus are apparently more transparent.
A law unto itself
So this begs the question, how many weren’t reported? We already know that private contractors report feeling despised and that the DWP struggles to retain these assessors. We also know that 1 in 5 privately contracted benefit assessors aren’t safeguard trained.
The fact that assessors only have to do a bit of training if they cause potential harm to a claimant means they essentially have free rein to be as vile as they want, with no fear of being disciplined or losing their jobs.
With the department pushing ahead with plans to move the UC health element to PIP, even more disabled people will be forced to engage with these cruel assessors who face no consequences for their actions.
This report proves that the DWP is a law unto itself. Despite various committees trying to bring it under control, the department desperately needs to be held to account, before even more disabled people die.
Featured image via the Canary
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