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Select Committee · Work and Pensions Committee

Safeguarding vulnerable claimants

Status: Closed Opened: 21 Jul 2023 Closed: 17 Sep 2025 22 recommendations 18 conclusions 4 reports

The predecessor Work and Pensions Committee opened an inquiry into safeguarding vulnerable claimants in July 2023, to examine how DWP supports vulnerable benefit claimants and whether its approach to safeguarding needs to change. There are many people who claim benefits from DWP who are considered vulnerable and in need of special care, support or protection …

Clear

Reports

4 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Easy Read – 1st Report – Safeguarding Vulnerable Claimants HC 402 15 May 2025 0 Responded
Audio summary – 1st Report – Safeguarding Vulnerable Claima… HC 402 15 May 2025 0 —
1st Report – Safeguarding Vulnerable Claimants HC 402 15 May 2025 40 Responded
BSL report summary – 1st Report – Safeguarding Vulnerable C… HC 402 15 May 2025 0 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
2 Conclusion 1st Report – Safeguarding Vulnerable Cl… Not Addressed

EHRC formal investigation into DWP’s treatment of disabled claimants is currently ongoing.

We note that in April 2022, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and DWP were working to improve DWP’s treatment of disabled benefit claimants in accordance with a legally binding section 23 agreement. We further note that the EHRC launched a formal investigation into DWP in May 2024, which …

Government response. The government's response discusses its openness to a statutory safeguarding duty, consultation findings, and a future statement on DWP's new safeguarding approach, without directly addressing the Committee's conclusion about the ongoing EHRC investigation or its decision to defer recommendations.
Department for Work and Pensions
31 Conclusion 1st Report – Safeguarding Vulnerable Cl… Not Addressed

DWP inconsistently refers vulnerable claimants to appropriate external safeguarding agencies

Effective collaboration between partners is essential to understand the complex needs of some claimants, to understand if they are at risk, and to identify if any interventions are required to assure their safety. The Department has taken some steps to improve the way it works with other agencies, led by …

Government response. The government states it will continue to strengthen partnerships with Safeguarding Adult Boards and increase DWP representation (currently 80%), and plans to publish the joint Memorandum of Understanding. However, it does not directly address the committee's finding that the department …
Department for Work and Pensions
36 Recommendation 1st Report – Safeguarding Vulnerable Cl… Not Addressed

Devise a systematic way to record and annually publish serious harms and deaths

We recommend the Department work with its Chief Medical Advisor, DWP’s Caldicott Guardian, and coroners to devise a way to record more systematically all cases of serious harms and deaths where the individual affected was in receipt of working-age benefits. The Department should then commit to publishing this information annually …

Government response. The government noted the Chief Medical Advisor's existing involvement in public Coroner reports and stated it is reviewing and exploring how to strengthen their roles, and how the Caldicott Guardian will be included in ethical data considerations, but did not …
Department for Work and Pensions

Oral evidence sessions

8 sessions
Date Witnesses
12 Feb 2025 Dr Gail Allsopp · Department for Work and Pensions, Elizabeth Fairburn · Department for Work & Pensions, Neil Couling · Department for Work and Pensions, Sir Stephen Timms MP · Department for Work and Pensions View ↗
8 Jan 2025 Carri Swann · Child Poverty Action Group, Dr Antonia Dietmann · Department for Work and Pensions, Dr Gail Allsopp · Department for Work and Pensions, Minesh Patel · Mind, Sophie Francis-Cansfield · Women’s Aid, Tim Nicholls · National Autistic Society View ↗
26 Mar 2024 Elizabeth Fairburn · Department for Work & Pensions, Mims Davies MP · Department for Work and Pensions, Preeta Ramachandran · Department for Work & Pensions, The Viscount Younger of Leckie · Department for Work and Pensions View ↗
28 Feb 2024 Rebecca Hilsenrath · Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Rob Behrens · Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman View ↗
7 Feb 2024 Caroline Selman · Public Law Project, Jesse Nicholls · Matrix Law, William Ford · Osbornes Law View ↗
24 Jan 2024 Corin Hammersley · Advice & Benefits Service, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Dr Jeremy Dixon · University of Bath, Professor Michael Preston-Shoot · National Network for Chairs of Safeguarding Adults Boards, Professor Sally McManus · City University of London View ↗
13 Dec 2023 Ashley McDougall · National Audit Office, Brian Dow · Rethink Mental Illness, Daphne Hall · National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers (NAWRA), Jamie Thunder · Z2K (Zacchaeus 2000 Trust), Joshua Reddaway · National Audit Office View ↗
15 Nov 2023 Chloe Schendel-Wilson · The Disability Policy Centre, Henry Parkes · Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), Nikki Bond · Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, Prof Ben Baumberg Geiger · King’s College London, Prof Lisa Scullion · University of Salford View ↗

Correspondence

13 letters
DateDirectionTitle
14 May 2025 — Correspondence from the Minister for Social Security and Disability, relating t…
12 Mar 2025 — Correspondence from the Minister for Social Security and Disability, responding…
26 Feb 2025 — Correspondence to the Minister for Social Security and Disability, relating to …
26 Feb 2025 — Correspondence from Neil Couling, Universal Credit, Senior Responsible Owner, D…
29 Jan 2025 — Correspondence from the the Minister of State for Social Security and Disabilit…
23 Jan 2025 — Correspondence with Dr Allsopp requesting further information following her app…
22 Jan 2025 — Correspondence with Dr Dietman requesting further information following her app…
18 Dec 2024 — Correspondence with the Minister for Social Security and Disability, relating t…
24 May 2024 — Correspondence with the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work and the P…
24 Apr 2024 — Correspondence with the Chief Coroner relating to Safeguarding vulnerable claim…
24 Apr 2024 — Correspondence from DWP Officials relating to Safeguarding vulnerable claimants
6 Mar 2024 — Correspondence with Permanent Secretary relating to Safeguarding vulnerable cla…
25 Oct 2023 — Correspondence with the Secretary of State relating to Internal Process Reviews…