Work and Pensions Committee
Wednesday 10th June 2026
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09:31
Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
And a warm welcome to the first session of our Safeguarding Vulnerable Claimants inquiry. One year on. Just. I'd like to start, if I may, by just making a note, some opening remarks. Um, it was last May that we published our report, Safeguarding Vulnerable Claimants and our fantastic panel here were part of the um. Expert witnesses who we received evidence from in the previous inquiry. Um that report was published, as I say, last last May, the driver for this inquiry was the deaths of vulnerable claimants.
Social security claimants who we were very, very concerned about. Since 2020, more than 240 people have had internal DWP process reviews into their deaths and serious harms that have occurred to claimants. We believe that that is just the tip of the iceberg. On top of this, we know that there have been nine prevention of future deaths. Most recently, for example, Jade Logan, a 20 year old 28 year old mother, took her own life in May last year. Of claimants, most recently, for example, Jade Logan, a 20 year old 28 year old mother, took her own life in May last year.
Future deaths reports from coroners in concerns to the deaths about the deaths of 28 year old mother took her own life in May last year, and that was because of her Pip. Personal Independence payment being being stopped, which was remarkably reminiscent of Philippa Day, who died. Future deaths reports from coroners in concerns to the deaths about the deaths of claimants, most recently, for example, Jade Logan, a 20 year old 28 year old mother, took her own life in May last year and that was because of her Pip Personal Independence Payment being being stopped, which was remarkably reminiscent of Philippa Day, who died under similar circumstances.
We know that there have been 1300 deaths of people who have been waiting for personal independence payment, state assessments. We also know that people on Employment Support Allowance support group are six times more likely to die compared to the working age population as a whole. Our report made 21 recommendations. Only four of these were accepted by the government in their response to the report. Last July. And it is with this background information that I start this, um, this inquiry, as I say, into our review of this report and the progress, um, that may have been made.
And it's an absolute pleasure to welcome, um, our witnesses today. Uh, we have Daphne Hall, who's the vice chair of the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers. Michael Preston Chute, who's the joint convenor of the National Association of Adult Safeguarding Boards. Caroline Selman, who's a senior research fellow at the Public Law Project and online. Rick Burgess, who's co-chair of the Disabled People, People's Organisations Forum England and facilitator at the Greater Manchester Disabled People's Panel. And as I say, Rick joins us virtually.
I'm going to start, um, and I'll it's up to you who wants to, to, to go first on this. But I just wondered from your own experience, what you have noticed since the publication of our report into safeguarding vulnerable claimants?What has been the change in safeguarding um that you have observed from the DWP?
Social security claimants who we were very, very concerned about. Since 2020, more than 240 people have had internal DWP process reviews into their deaths and serious harms that have occurred to claimants. We believe that that is just the tip of the iceberg. On top of this, we know that there have been nine prevention of future deaths. Most recently, for example, Jade Logan, a 20 year old 28 year old mother, took her own life in May last year. Of claimants, most recently, for example, Jade Logan, a 20 year old 28 year old mother, took her own life in May last year.
Future deaths reports from coroners in concerns to the deaths about the deaths of 28 year old mother took her own life in May last year, and that was because of her Pip. Personal Independence payment being being stopped, which was remarkably reminiscent of Philippa Day, who died. Future deaths reports from coroners in concerns to the deaths about the deaths of claimants, most recently, for example, Jade Logan, a 20 year old 28 year old mother, took her own life in May last year and that was because of her Pip Personal Independence Payment being being stopped, which was remarkably reminiscent of Philippa Day, who died under similar circumstances.
We know that there have been 1300 deaths of people who have been waiting for personal independence payment, state assessments. We also know that people on Employment Support Allowance support group are six times more likely to die compared to the working age population as a whole. Our report made 21 recommendations. Only four of these were accepted by the government in their response to the report. Last July. And it is with this background information that I start this, um, this inquiry, as I say, into our review of this report and the progress, um, that may have been made.
And it's an absolute pleasure to welcome, um, our witnesses today. Uh, we have Daphne Hall, who's the vice chair of the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers. Michael Preston Chute, who's the joint convenor of the National Association of Adult Safeguarding Boards. Caroline Selman, who's a senior research fellow at the Public Law Project and online. Rick Burgess, who's co-chair of the Disabled People, People's Organisations Forum England and facilitator at the Greater Manchester Disabled People's Panel. And as I say, Rick joins us virtually.
I'm going to start, um, and I'll it's up to you who wants to, to, to go first on this. But I just wondered from your own experience, what you have noticed since the publication of our report into safeguarding vulnerable claimants?What has been the change in safeguarding um that you have observed from the DWP?
09:35
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
I don't mind going first if that's okay. Um, I'll start with the positives. I think two things that are good. Now on the journal we have um an additional support needs banner and an accessibility banner. So that appears on the top of the screen. Uh, so the agent can see it so that it is much more noticeable visible so that the person see it as a link through to explain what the needs are. That's very good.
The trouble with the additional support needs one, it can only be filled in by an agent. So a DWP agent. So a work coach or a case manager. I'm not completely convinced that that's proactively filled in that they seek information. Um we as an adviser will try and make sure information goes on it. But if the person doesn't have anyone representing them, I don't think they know about it. So they don't know to make sure those needs go on.
There's also some concerns. It isn't always looked at. We've certainly seen examples where there's a vulnerability marker on, but it's not been taken note of. Um, so it just needs to be used. Well, it's good that it's there, but I think there's more to be done to proactively fill it in and to make sure it's properly checked. I think the clinical governance has improved. Um, with the fact they've just done their first report and annual reports just come out this week.
Um, and we've got the chief medical adviser now who oversees a lot of the safeguarding training and the training of the healthcare assessors. And I think that's brought a lot more consistency. Again, I think there's more to be done. I don't think everyone's had the full level of safeguarding training that they should have, but I know that they are on it, so I think that's good.
The trouble with the additional support needs one, it can only be filled in by an agent. So a DWP agent. So a work coach or a case manager. I'm not completely convinced that that's proactively filled in that they seek information. Um we as an adviser will try and make sure information goes on it. But if the person doesn't have anyone representing them, I don't think they know about it. So they don't know to make sure those needs go on.
There's also some concerns. It isn't always looked at. We've certainly seen examples where there's a vulnerability marker on, but it's not been taken note of. Um, so it just needs to be used. Well, it's good that it's there, but I think there's more to be done to proactively fill it in and to make sure it's properly checked. I think the clinical governance has improved. Um, with the fact they've just done their first report and annual reports just come out this week.
Um, and we've got the chief medical adviser now who oversees a lot of the safeguarding training and the training of the healthcare assessors. And I think that's brought a lot more consistency. Again, I think there's more to be done. I don't think everyone's had the full level of safeguarding training that they should have, but I know that they are on it, so I think that's good.
09:37
09:53
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
Yeah. We we don't get to see the training materials, but it is at least now consistent across the assessors. So the assessors used to do it themselves. So Serco capita whatever. Whereas now it's held centrally by DWP. The chief medical adviser oversees it. And I do think there's an improvement there because of that. Um and I know they are working hard. So I think I think it's going in the right direction.
So I think that's a real positive. Going back to some of your recommendations in the report. I know one of the things you highlighted was that the help to claim service, obviously, it was only phone or or online and that the Jobcentre said they could help anyone else. And I think one of the recommendations that it should be fully replicated, that certainly wasn't the case. People who couldn't do phone or online struggled to access support. Um, and the enhanced support journey, which all claimants went on, um, if they didn't, if they didn't migrate, you know, they weren't, they hadn't applied by their deadline that, that.
Helped them through to a claim to, to submitting the claim, but it didn't get them through to the first payment.
So I think that's a real positive. Going back to some of your recommendations in the report. I know one of the things you highlighted was that the help to claim service, obviously, it was only phone or or online and that the Jobcentre said they could help anyone else. And I think one of the recommendations that it should be fully replicated, that certainly wasn't the case. People who couldn't do phone or online struggled to access support. Um, and the enhanced support journey, which all claimants went on, um, if they didn't, if they didn't migrate, you know, they weren't, they hadn't applied by their deadline that, that.
Helped them through to a claim to, to submitting the claim, but it didn't get them through to the first payment.