Recommendation 6

We recommend DWP introduce a statutory duty to safeguard vulnerable claimants that applies to the whole Department, and for which the Secretary of State is ultimately accountable. The duty should have regard to factors such as the wellbeing of vulnerable claimants and preventing harm, when exercising its functions. It should apply when developing, implementing and reviewing policy, and also cover specified duties that contain clear criteria and definitions, including: • a responsibility to proactively conduct a safeguarding assessment or identify if a claimant needs additional support; 94 • an obligation to both inform and proactively offer additional support measures to all claimants who might need such support; and • a duty to refer vulnerable claimants to other agencies, including those which have a duty of care, to ensure their additional needs are supported (Recommendation, Paragraph 31). Systems-based policymaking