Page 7 - Community Living Magazine 35-3

welfare rights
Claimants who need safeguarding

Cases of death and serious harm among welfare claimants are The guidance includes advice and
rising. Charlie Callanan looks out how this is being addressed information on how to deal with
claimants who are at risk, whether from
and what to do if a client is at risk because of benefit difficulties themselves or from a third party. The
risks include injury, neglect, domestic
violence or psychological abuse, as well as
hilippa Day, Errol Graham and Jodey the risk of exploitation of children or
Whiting are now sadly familiar names vulnerable adults.
Pto people with an interest in how There is separate guidance for DWP
vulnerable claimants are treated by the staff on managing and escalating concerns
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). about a claimant who is at risk of suicide
Day and Whiting both took their own or self-harm.
lives, and Graham starved to death. All A crucial part of the support for staff
were claiming benefits because of health is a new network of advanced customer
problems, including mental health support senior leaders spread through the
difficulties. They died after their benefit regions of Great Britain. They provide
was cut or stopped. escalation routes beyond the usual
The Rethink Mental Illness charity is DWP business channels for the most
running a campaign called Stop Benefit vulnerable customers who require
Deaths. Its 2021 report, Tip of the tailored, advanced support.
Iceberg? Deaths and Serious Harm in the
Benefits System, describes the system as How to report concerns
one “in which poor decision making and However, what is notably absent from the
administrative errors are compounded by DWP’s publications are any guidelines for
processes and communications that seem relatives and carers or professionals such
harsh and uncaring”. Secretary of state for work and pensions Therese as social workers on how to report to the
It reveals that there have been at least Coffey denies the DWP has any “legal” duty of DWP any concerns they have about the
268 internal reviews by DWP into deaths care towards vulnerable, disabled claimants risk of harm to individual claimants.
of or serious harm to benefit claimants If you have a client who is at risk of
since 2012. In the two years before the However, Coffey has denied that the harm because of difficulties with benefits
report, there were 124 such DWP – a huge public body – has any – for example if their employment and
investigations. This is a huge rise. “legal” duty of care towards the vulnerable support allowance is stopped because
people who form a substantial proportion they fail to attend a medical assessment
Stress points of their sick and disabled customers. – then steps to take could include:
Disabled claimants who are vulnerable or Nonetheless, work is ongoing within the l Telephone the relevant benefit helpline
have complex needs may experience DWP to try to improve its record on to explain your concerns; ask if it is
difficulties at various stages. Stress points safeguarding vulnerable clients, and possible to speak to a supervisor
cited in cases that ended in harm to reduce the cases of serious harm and l Ask for an urgent, ideally same day
claimants include: preventable deaths that have been call back from the benefits office
l Failure to attend a medical assessment documented in the past decade. l Request that the benefits office
as part of a claim for or review of The DWP has set up a service excellence investigates and resolves the presenting
entitlement to a disability or group to help improve the experience of issue urgently eg by giving the claimant
sickness benefit claimants. This includes the serious case another opportunity to attend their
l Failure to respond to a letter or form panel, a senior staff group that meets missed assessment
sent by DWP, leading to benefit being quarterly to consider systemic issues and l If the concerns are urgent and/or
suspended and stopped problems and makes recommendations to serious enough, ask if the case can be
l Sanctions, with reductions to the address these. referred to an advanced customer
benefit, usually because of a failure to internal process reviews that follow l If the issue is in connection with a
support senior leader
These issues are identified in DWP
International Maritime Organization/Flickr/CC BY 2.0 the DWP and the secretary of state for DWP staff called Helping Customers Who relevant assessment provider may be
comply with claim “conditionality”
missed medical assessment, the
(where the claimant has to meet certain serious incidents or deaths, coroners’
reports and complaints made to the DWP.
customer services department at the
obligations to receive the benefit).
There is now internal guidance for all
Public pressure has been growing on
able to assist. For example, if the
work and pensions, Dr Therese Coffey, to
Require Advanced Support. It states: “This
claimant is particularly stressed or
guidance aligns activity across DWP,
anxious about an upcoming assessment,
address concerns about the many deaths
thought to be related to difficulties with
the provider can be asked to consider
providing practical steps for assisting
customers who may need support putting
claiming benefits. This pressure has been
information such as a psychiatric report
brought by relatives of the deceased
to see if a decision can be made without
claimants, disability pressure groups,
tailored service at all points of our
the assessment. n
coroners and journalists.
customer experience.”
l Stop Benefit Deaths: rethink.org
www.cl-initiatives.co.uk in place, supporting a compassionate, Community Living Vol 35 No 3 | Spring 2022 7