Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Accepted
DWP reform programme risks unintended consequences for vulnerable claimants without centering wellbeing.
Conclusion
DWP is undertaking a major programme of reform via its green and white papers and several long-term strategies and programmes. This work presents a significant opportunity to improve safeguarding for claimants across the social security system. However, DWP must be alert to unintended consequences that could put claimants at risk, as has happened too many times in the past. The Department must make sure it centres the wellbeing of vulnerable claimants in its policymaking, including by ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience are incorporated in design, planning, and implementation. (Conclusion, Paragraph 46)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government did not explicitly commit to new mechanisms for incorporating lived experience in policy design or proactively identifying unintended consequences of reforms. The response focused on existing practices for communicating information to customers, checking for support needs, and providing staff training.
Government Response
The government responded to this report on 22 July 2025. No passage in that response could be matched to this conclusion. Read the response document ↗