Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Information Commissioner on the Freedom of Information request on deaths of benefit claimants made on 25 June 2013.

Following the request made on the 25 June 2013 the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) contacted the Department on 19 Sept 2013. The Department replied and the ICO issued a Decision Notice on 27 Nov 2013. On 23 Dec 2013 the ICO notified the Department that the complainant had made an application to appeal the decision notice. The Department decided not to join the appeal and the First Tier Tribunal decision, dated 14 May 2014, was to dismiss the appeal.