Work Capability Assessment

(asked on 7th July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the Government will establish an independent inquiry into the (a) number and (b) causes of deaths of those who have died after being found fit to work following a benefits assessment in each of the last six years.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 15th July 2021

The Department’s key obligation is to ensure that claimants receive the benefits that they are entitled to, in a timely manner. We have recently put in place a number of improvements to disability benefits assessments, to ensure that vulnerable customers are identified and all evidence relevant to the claim is taken into account.

The Department is committed to learning from cases where there is suggestion or allegation that the Department’s actions or omissions may have negatively contributed to a customer’s circumstances. We conduct internal retrospective investigations (known as Internal Process Reviews) to capture these lessons, and take them forward to inform future policy and service.

In England and Wales (where engaged) a Coroner has responsibility for concluding the cause of death.

Reticulating Splines