1st Report – Safeguarding Vulnerable Claimants

Select Committee
Work and Pensions Committee HC 402 15 May 2025
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 40 items (22 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 40 of 40 classified)
Accepted 10
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 4
Deferred 15
Not Addressed 3
Rejected 4
Government response
3rd Special Report - Safeguarding Vulnerable Claimants: Government response · published 22 Jul 2025
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Recommendations & Conclusions

4 results
7 Conclusion Acknowledged
DWP policy framework inadequately addresses vulnerable claimants beyond the disability service area.
Conclusion
DWP is more likely to prevent vulnerable claimants from experiencing harm if it first engages them in decision-making that affects them: their needs, the potential risks of proposals, and how those risks might be mitigated. We welcome the intention to … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government recognised the broad nature of vulnerability and stated that as part of a safeguarding review, it will consider publishing DWP's flexible definition of vulnerability.
Department for Work and Pensions
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25 Conclusion Acknowledged
Inconsistent application of DWP policies like sanctions exacerbates claimant vulnerabilities and hardship.
Conclusion
Incorrectly applied, policies intended to drive claimant behaviour and deliver value for money, such as sanctions and deductions, can create and exacerbate vulnerabilities. While DWP has checks in place that are supposed to ensure this doesn’t happen, the application of … Read more
Government Response Summary
The Coaching Academy will aim to professionalise employment support through accredited training and provide platforms to capture structured frontline feedback, which will inform continuous improvement in training and delivery of service.
Department for Work and Pensions
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26 Conclusion Acknowledged
Overreliance on Work Coach discretion and inadequate training compromises DWP safeguarding policies.
Conclusion
The effectiveness of DWP policies that are supposed to protect claimants from harm is in large part contingent on Work Coaches applying discretion correctly and consistently. Discretion can be a valuable tool in the benefit system, but we are concerned … Read more
Government Response Summary
The Coaching Academy will aim to professionalise employment support through accredited training and provide platforms to capture structured frontline feedback, which will inform continuous improvement in training and delivery of service.
Department for Work and Pensions
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38 Conclusion Acknowledged
DWP's system for learning from serious harm cases remains opaque
Conclusion
If all other layers of safeguarding fail, and claimants experience harm as a consequence, it is essential that DWP learns from these cases. Furthermore, it is right that learning mechanisms are transparent, so that claimants and their families can understand … Read more
Government Response Summary
DWP is committed to continuous learning to improve public services and recognizes its responsibility to learn when experiences for customers have fallen below expectations and to make changes that drive improvement. DWP plans to publish findings from Internal Process Reviews to support transparency and improve understanding of the system among customers and stakeholders.
Department for Work and Pensions
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