A new report from the cross-party Work and Pensions Committee has called for a legal duty to be placed on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to improve its "deficient" safeguarding practices, which are letting down Universal Credit claimants.
The recommendation follows the tragic deaths of vulnerable claimants in recent years. MPs have urged comprehensive cultural change within the department to repair "sorely damaged" public trust in the system.
This report criticises the DWP's current "piecemeal" approach to safeguarding claimants.
It recommends a more joined-up strategy that would be embedded in policy development, implementation and review processes throughout the department.
The DWP is being called to introduce more safeguards to protect more vulnerable Universal Credit claimants
GETTYThe Committee's key recommendation is a new legal duty for the DWP to refer vulnerable claimants to agencies with a duty of care. Under this proposal, the Secretary of State would be held accountable for the safeguarding duty.
According to the report from MPS, this change is essential to address the fundamental issues in how vulnerable people are treated.
It calls for everyone in the department to be involved in safeguarding practices. The recommendations aim to move away from isolated approaches and towards a comprehensive system that protects those most at risk.
Among the additional recommendations is a call to include "victims of domestic abuse" as a standalone category within Universal Credit's "Additional Support Area".
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DWP minister Liz Kendall is making drastic changes to her department PA The Committee described as a "glaring omission" given the unique needs of abuse victims and survivors. The report also recommends that the DWP's Chief Medical Advisor's team assess potential health impacts of all new significant policies.
Currently, such health assessments are not carried out consistently on major policy changes. Committee Chair Debbie Abrahams said: "That people continue to face harm after dealing with the DWP is a self-evident failure of safeguarding in the system."
"Until recently, getting people back into work to cut costs had been prioritised over providing support and care for vulnerable people."
She added: "We heard evidence that the process itself of engaging with the DWP itself too often led to mental distress.
"Too often, we heard their trust has been smashed by continual cost-cutting drives and an unhelpful media narrative.
"Many fear coming forward and expressing that they need additional support due to their circumstances and they fall deeper into vulnerability and despair as a result."
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The UK government's expenditure on benefits has also increased over time, with the largest increase in 2020/21 due to the COVID-19 pandemicChatGPT The report is the culmination of two years of work by the current and predecessor Committees.
It was originally launched after safeguarding concerns were raised involving several high-profile deaths of claimants.
These included the deaths of Errol Graham, Phillipa Day, Jodey Whiting and Kevin Gale. The DWP conducted 240 Internal Process Reviews between 2020-21 and 2023-24.
An Equality and Human Rights Commission investigation into the DWP's treatment of disabled people and those with long-term mental health conditions was launched in 2024. This investigation remains ongoing.
