DWP policy impact assessment
Failure of DWP to adequately analyze the potential impacts, including health implications, of new policies on vulnerable claimants.
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Inquiry recommendation
97match
36 - Impact assessment of policy changes
The cumulative impact of new policies and processes, particularly the perceived pressure to achieve Foundation Trust status, together with organisational reconfiguration, placed significant pressure on the management capacity of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust to deliver against changing requirements whilst maintaining day-to-day needs, including safeguarding patient safety. Whilst we do not absolve Trusts from...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact, policy
PFD report
85match
Terence Talbot
Inadequate clinical assessments, including mental capacity and specialist dermatology review, combined with insufficient nutritional care, and a rigid DWP policy requiring a critically ill inpatient to attend in person for benefits.
Matched on
terms: assessment, dwp, policy
NAO recommendation
85match
Department for Work and Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21
Produce fraud and error impact statements for any significant policy changes. Where changes require the approval of Parliament, the Department should set out in the public business case and any explanatory memorandum the fraud and error consequences of any new benefit policies or regulations. Where changes do not require the approval of Parliament there should be a systematic...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact, policy
Committee recommendation
81match
#9 - 3rd Report - Youth employment, education and training
The Secretary of State told us that increasing youth employment, education and training is his top priority, yet certain benefit rules disincentivise young people from pursuing opportunities. It is particularly concerning that 16 to 18-year-olds who take on an apprenticeship risk reducing the benefits paid to the rest of their family, and that young adult carers who study...
Matched on
terms: dwp, impact, policy
Committee recommendation
81match
#35 - 3rd Report - Protecting built heritage
We recommend that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that the revised National Planning Policy Framework delivers tangible improvements for the heritage sector. In particular, the government, within two years of the revised framework coming into force, should publish an assessment of the framework’s...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact, policy
Committee recommendation
81match
#24 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
The 2011 and 2013 impact assessments of the increase to 67 are outdated and insufficient. They do not reflect recent increases in work-limiting ill- health or deepening inequality in healthy life expectancy. The previous government decided to proceed with the increase in 2023 but said it would keep the position of people unable to continue in work under...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact, policy
Committee recommendation
77match
#19 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
We are disappointed that the Minister seemed disinclined to consider specific additional support to pre-pensioners. We are also disappointed at the lack of evidence-based policy-making that has been driving this and policy making more generally in the DWP. We recommend that the government think again and, as a minimum, consult on the proposal for an uplift in the...
Matched on
terms: assessment, dwp, impact, policy
Committee recommendation
77match
#36 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
We acknowledge that most disabled people and people with health conditions receive the core elements of their claim on time. However, we find it troubling that, because of the time taken to complete the Work Capability Assessment process, people must wait much longer than five weeks to receive their full entitlement. Even beyond this, disabled people experience further...
Matched on
terms: assessment, dwp
PFD report
73match
Philippa Day
DWP call handlers lacked training for mentally ill claimants, and brief, inaccurate call records hindered decision-making. The assessment process was inflexible, preventing correction of errors or flexible appointment management.
Matched on
terms: assessment, dwp
Committee recommendation
73match
#31 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
In response to this report, the department should explain: whether it accepts that pre-pensioner and pensioner poverty have a downstream impact, for example, on demand for health and social care services; how it will reflect this in its impact assessments and what discussions it has had with HM Treasury to ensure that its policies and its approach to...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact
Committee recommendation
73match
#29 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
The department should consider how to take account of the cumulative impact of policies on individuals in its assessment of State Pension age rises; for example, whether it will base its assessment on longitudinal data reflecting differences in factors such as employment history, occupational class, health status, caring history, income decile and protected characteristics. (Recommendation, Paragraph 117)
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact
Committee recommendation
73match
#13 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
The Minister for Pensions explained that the department’s plans to support the transition to State Pension age for the rise to 67 was to support older workers in the labour market, through initiatives such as WorkWell, Pathways to Work and the Mayfield Review. He did not have data on the likely impact of such measures. Since the impact...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact
Committee recommendation
73match
#35 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
We welcome the announcement of funding for the recruitment of over 13,500 new Work Coaches—double the current number—over the next financial year. This is an ambitious programme of recruitment. The Committee would welcome a written update from the Department, by the end of the calendar year, on how the recruitment is progressing. This should include, but not be...
Matched on
terms: dwp, impact
ICIBI recommendation
71match
An inspection of the Home Office’s use of sanctions and penalties
The Home Office should: 1. Carry out a co-ordinated review of current BICS sanctions and penalties, starting with a clear statement of the specific objective(s) of each measure and how the Home Office will monitor and report its performance and outcomes, and including: a. an impact assessment and policy equality statement setting out who will be affected, directly...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact, policy
PFD report
69match
Michael O’Sullivan
The DWP assessment process for fitness to work failed to incorporate vital medical information from the patient's treating GP, psychiatrist, and clinical psychologist, leading to decisions without comprehensive medical input.
Matched on
terms: assessment, dwp
PFD report
69match
Tamara Logan
An incorrect benefits assessment, uncorrected by review, significantly impacted the deceased. Additionally, standard letters were sent despite recognised vulnerabilities, without attempting to reduce associated risks.
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact
Committee recommendation
69match
#28 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
State Pension age rises risk exacerbating existing inequalities in health and lifetime earnings. This should be reflected in impact assessments on State Pension age rises but is not. (Conclusion, Paragraph 116)
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact
Committee recommendation
69match
#20 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
We acknowledge that this proposal would not go far enough to improve health outcomes for people who have had to leave work due to ill-health or caring responsibilities in their mid-60s. We should not be in this position. If the government had acted on the recommendation in our 2025 Pensioner Poverty report to update the impact assessment, this...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact
Committee recommendation
69match
#37 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
The Universal Credit application process requires claimants to provide a great deal of information about their circumstances, to enable the Department to assess their claim. When they have done this, Universal Credit claimants rightly expect that they should be paid the full amount they are entitled to, on time. For too many people, however, this simply does not...
Matched on
terms: assessment, dwp
Committee recommendation
66match
#14 - Third Report - Impact of COVID-19 on DCMS sectors: First Report
The Government must learn from the shortcomings of previous support schemes, including those for charities and self-employed people, to ensure this package is tailored to the unique characteristics of the cultural sector and its workers, and reaches them promptly. The Government must recognise the interconnected nature of the cultural 58 Impact of COVID-19 on DCMS sectors: First Report...
Matched on
terms: impact
PFD report
65match
Kevin Gale
DWP procedures, including lengthy forms, long phone queues, and travel requirements, are impractical and exacerbate symptoms for individuals with mental health illnesses.
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
65match
#44 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
While monthly payments do mirror the world of work for many, DWP’s own figures show that a significant minority of people who claim Universal Credit received or continue to receive weekly or fortnightly wages. Other sources suggest that a majority of claimants may be paid more frequently than monthly. This can make it hard for households to budget,...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
65match
#33 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
Support organisations have expressed concern that DWP’s approach to data sharing and consent has had a detrimental effect on their ability to support vulnerable claimants. The Department now says it is exploring options for improving its model Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment 83 of explicit consent. We urge the Department to publish more detail about...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
65match
#32 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
DWP must immediately make improvements to the Universal Credit system to formalise how it identifies and defines vulnerable claimants, as part of its overall approach to safeguarding vulnerable people. This will be a substantial piece of work, and DWP should set out when it expects to achieve this. The new mechanism should, as the Minister for Welfare Delivery...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Inquiry recommendation
64match
31 - Update whistleblowing DSO with anonymous reporting mechanisms
The Home Office must update Detention Services Order 03/2020: Whistleblowing – The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 to require contractors that run immigration removal centres to: have a whistleblowing policy and procedure that is specific to the immigration detention environment; ensure that the whistleblowing mechanism is not limited to a hotline and allows for anonymous reporting of concerns;...
Matched on
terms: assessment, policy
Committee recommendation
62match
#12 - Third Report - Impact of COVID-19 on DCMS sectors: First Report
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme have been a lifeline for all those in the creative industries who have been eligible for them. However, the closure of the schemes in October and the fact too many self-employed people have missed out on support to date, means the future of our creative workforce remains...
Matched on
terms: impact
PFD report
61match
Richard Brookes
DWP systems failed to properly assess and safeguard a vulnerable adult receiving a large arrears payment, resulting in a lack of clear communication and exacerbating the patient's paranoia about the money.
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
61match
#33 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
More than 15 years on from its introduction, the government should commission and publish analysis of the impact of the mixed age couple rule on those affected and how this will change as the State Pension age rises to 67. This analysis should include: their risk of poverty; the 67 impact on their health and wellbeing; the extent...
Matched on
terms: impact
Committee recommendation
61match
#43 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
The Universal Credit Transition Fund is an initiative to support vulnerable people in applying for Universal Credit as soon as they are eligible, and rightly puts organisations that work most closely with these groups at the centre. Timely applications to Universal Credit will mitigate the impact of the five-week wait. The disruption created by coronavirus this year has...
Matched on
terms: impact
Committee recommendation
61match
#39 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
The recovery of Tax Credit debt from claimants’ Universal Credit awards clearly presents problems. However, the option of returning responsibility to HMRC now would be too challenging to deliver in practice. Instead, we recommend that DWP should continue to collect these debts, but that recovery should only begin when the claimant has repaid their Advance (if they have...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Inquiry recommendation
60match
LAMI-3 - Establish National Agency to assess, advise, and monitor children and families policy
The newly established National Agency for Children and Families should have the following responsibilities: • to assess, and advise the ministerial Children and Families Board about, the impact on children and families of proposed changes in policy; • to scrutinise new legislation and guidance issued for this purpose; • to advise on the implementation of the UN Convention...
Matched on
terms: impact, policy
ICIBI recommendation
59match
An inspection of the Home Office’s Afghan resettlement schemes (October 2022 – April 2023)
The Home Office should: ensure that all significant policy updates or developments (as defined in the ‘Home Office Public Sector Equality Duty and Equality Impact Assessment guidance’) in Afghan resettlement schemes are subject to an equality impact assessment (or a review if an existing equality impact assessment is in place), to ensure that due regard is being given...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact, policy
PFD report
57match
Kenton Beasley
A protracted and frustrating DVLA licence renewal process, characterized by communication failures, incorrect information, and lack of vulnerable customer support, significantly exacerbated the deceased's poor mental state and prevented employment.
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
57match
#10 - 3rd Report - Youth employment, education and training
16 to 18-year-old apprentices should be treated as part of the family unit when assessing benefit eligibility, and the 21-hour limit of weekly study for carers should be removed. DWP should also drop its plans to remove the health element of Universal Credit for under-22s. It has not produced evidence to justify a different approach for young people...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
57match
#32 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
We remain concerned about the impact of the mixed age couple rule. There are gaps in our understanding of its impact on the living standards and health of the 70,000 households affected and how this might change as the State Pension age rises to 67. (Conclusion, Paragraph 129)
Matched on
terms: impact
Committee recommendation
57match
#27 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
The government should explain how it will take a holistic approach to assessing the impact of State Pension age increases in future. This should include its plans to: 66 • take into account the views of pensioners; • consult the Chief Medical Advisor on health impacts; • invest in more granular, accurate cohort data on life expectancy; •...
Matched on
terms: impact
Committee recommendation
57match
#21 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
The Secretary of State’s own State Pension age review should consult on a longer-term approach to additional social security support for those unable to work to State Pension age. This should model the costs and benefits of different options, taking account of factors such as work incentives and the ‘downstream’ impact on demand for health and social care...
Matched on
terms: impact
Committee recommendation
57match
#12 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
In response to this report, the department should commission research on the health impacts of later working from the State Pension age increase from 65 to 66. (Recommendation, Paragraph 61) 63
Matched on
terms: impact
Committee recommendation
57match
#34 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
DWP has made substantial progress in improving payment timeliness,. The Department has increased the proportion of people paid on time from just over half in 2017 to over 90% in 2020—a significant feat given the recent upsurge in Universal Credit claims. However, the overall rise in claimant numbers mean that more people than ever are being paid late,...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
57match
#31 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
DWP currently lacks a comprehensive system for recording and tracking claimants’ needs. The introduction of pinned notes is a step in the right direction but, as the National Audit Office said, pinned notes are the digital equivalent of a post-it note on a file: they do not enable staff to collect consistent data on who needs additional support....
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
57match
#28 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
DWP was right to increase the standard allowance for Universal Credit and support for housing costs as part of its response to the pandemic. Benefit rates, and in particular support for housing costs, had become detached from the actual cost of living—in particular from the cost of private rents—and people were struggling to find a home for their...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
57match
#25 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
We welcome the announcement of the Breathing Space scheme, which is scheduled to be introduced next year, and the Government’s confirmation that Advances in Universal Credit will be covered by the scheme. We find it disappointing, however, that debts in Universal Credit will be “phased in” over time rather than introduced straight away. We recommend that DWP works...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Inquiry recommendation
56match
29 - Improve Professional Standards Unit investigation procedures and training
The Home Office must update Detention Services Order 03/2015: Handling of Complaints to clarify that, in investigations carried out by the Professional Standards Unit into allegations of serious misconduct against contractor staff: Professional Standards Unit investigators must carry out interviews themselves and not rely on contractors to do so. All staff against whom allegations are made must be...
Matched on
terms: assessment
PHSO casework decision
56match
P-003143 - Department for Work and Pensions
Mrs O complained DWP offered insufficient compensation (£500) after failing to pay her mother DLA for eight years, which impacted her post-stroke rehabilitation opportunities.
Matched on
terms: dwp, impact
NAO recommendation
55match
Progress in implementing Universal Credit
DWP should update its cost and benefit estimates to reflect the impact of the delay to the move of ESA claimants to UC.
Matched on
terms: dwp, impact
Committee recommendation
53match
#11 - 3rd Report - Youth employment, education and training
We also recommend that DWP undertake a comprehensive review of all its benefit rules to ensure they are all coherent with the priority of supporting youth employment, education and training. (Recommendation, Paragraph 56) 44 The Youth Guarantee
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
53match
#37 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
DWP should commission research to find out more about these low levels of awareness and whether there are practical steps that it could take to improve outcomes (for example, in relation to benefit take-up). (Recommendation, Paragraph 142)
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
53match
#26 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
We welcome the undertaking that the Secretary of State will take a broad and holistic approach to assessing the impact of State Pension age rises in his own review, due by March 2029. If this undertaking is met it will be an improvement on past practice and approaches. It will also be a demonstration of the culture change...
Matched on
terms: impact
Committee recommendation
53match
#23 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
DWP should commission research on: the extent of pension and non- pension savings held by pre-pensioners on Universal Credit and how they are drawing on them; and the extent to which pre-pensioners who are eligible for Universal Credit are not claiming it and the reasons for this. (Recommendation, Paragraph 101) Government decision-making
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
53match
#9 - 2nd Report - Transition to State Pension Age
The government must: • confirm that a core task for the Secretary of State’s State Pension age review, due by March 2029, will be to consider those groups on whom State Pension age increases have a disproportionately negative impact and the measures that are needed to mitigate that; and • publish the report of the third independent State...
Matched on
terms: impact