DWP policy impact assessment
Failure of DWP to adequately analyze the potential impacts, including health implications, of new policies on vulnerable claimants.
1,845 items
10 sources
3 inquiries
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
83match
#36 - Second Report - Disability employment gap
Sanctions can have a negative impact not only on disabled people’s employment prospects, but on their overall wellbeing. The Minister told us that the conditionality regime forms part of a “menu of support” and that sanctions are only used as a last resort, but even he acknowledged that it is in “no one’s interest” for a sanction to...
Matched on
terms: dwp, impact
Committee recommendation
82match
#5 - Fifteenth Report - DWP Employment support
The Department is not sufficiently transparent about the impact and take-up of its schemes at a local level. We recognise that good-quality evaluations can be challenging to deliver, and that measuring the impact of a programme can take years. We are pleased that the Department is developing its plans to evaluate its new support schemes. However, we also...
Matched on
terms: dwp, impact
Committee recommendation
81match
#30 - Fourth Report - The Benefits System in Wales
In the interests of the young people considering taking part in the Welsh Government’s Basic Income pilot, the DWP and the Welsh Government should work together to conduct an impact assessment on the benefits received and the amount of taxes paid by the average potential participant.
Matched on
terms: assessment, dwp, impact
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
Committee recommendation
77match
#35 - Second Report - Disability employment gap
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is not fit for purpose. The fact that a majority of appeals against fit for work decisions are successful is evidence that it is not achieving its aim of supporting disabled people who can and want to work into employment. The assessment process can also create anxiety and distress for claimants, pushing them...
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
#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
Committee recommendation
73match
#20 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
We recommend that Advances should be renamed “new claim loans”, so that it is clear to claimants that they will need to be repaid. Before a new claim loan is granted in full, the Department should provide personalised budgeting support—when possible, with a face-to-face option—with a full assessment of the claimant’s financial situation and the impact that future...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact
Committee recommendation
73match
#10 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
We recommend that DWP should eliminate the five week wait for all claimants moving to Universal Credit through managed migration, including for claimants moving from tax credits. Those claimants should continue to receive their existing benefits during their first monthly assessment period. They should then be offered the option, from day one of their Universal Credit claim, of...
Matched on
terms: assessment, dwp
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
#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
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
Committee recommendation
65match
#37 - Second Report - Disability employment gap
It is encouraging to hear that the Department is beginning to take steps to rebuild its relationship with disabled people. But the Department still has a long way to go. Effective and meaningful engagement with disabled people, when developing policy proposals that will impact them, is one way the Department can rebuild trust with disabled people. We were...
Matched on
terms: impact, policy
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
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
#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
#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
Committee recommendation
57match
#23 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
DWP has capped the deductions that claimants can face from their Universal Credit award at 30%, and yet in some circumstances, such as where a claimant has rent or fuel arrears, or benefit sanctions, DWP can deduct more than this amount. Nick Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment 81 Timmins has estimated that almost one in...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
57match
#17 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
Advance payments can provide a valuable lifeline to people who might otherwise face going five weeks—or longer—without any income. The changes that DWP has introduced so far, especially allowing people to request Advances equivalent to their entire expected award and extending the repayment period, are welcome. However, there is clear evidence that Advance repayment deductions still leave some...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
57match
#13 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
We have considered the various options carefully. In recommending a course of action, we have chosen an approach which offers simplicity: a simple amount of money, so it is clear to claimants what they can expect, and a simple process, which does not require the Department to carry out any additional means-testing or assessment of a household’s needs....
Matched on
terms: assessment
Committee recommendation
57match
#11 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
We recommend that DWP set out, in response to our report, a detailed analysis of how our recommended approach could work in practice. It should also assess how the costs of this approach would compare with the costs of its existing plans to pay run-ons and final payments of legacy benefits to claimants who move via managed migration....
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
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
#4 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
We also heard evidence which suggests that people on Universal Credit are more likely to have rent arrears than people still claiming legacy benefits. The Department’s own data show that, while some people who come onto Universal Credit have pre-existing rent arrears, the level of these arrears rises much more sharply after they make their claim. Even after...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
53match
#2 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
DWP has previously adopted a sceptical attitude towards the evidence linking food bank use with Universal Credit. The Minister has now recognised that the Department needs to do more to improve its understanding of the what causes food bank use to increase. This is a welcome step. The Department has still not published its own analysis of the...
Matched on
terms: dwp
Committee recommendation
53match
#27 - Second Report - Disability employment gap
As part of its evaluation, to improve the effectiveness of the scheme, we recommend that the Department should establish an independent body to carry out objective external assessments of Disability Confident employers at levels 2 and 3 to monitor whether they are fulfilling their obligations. The Department should consider what action it could take against employers that are...
Matched on
terms: assessment
Committee recommendation
53match
#26 - Second Report - Disability employment gap
By the Department’s own admission, it is not possible to know whether Disability Confident is having any meaningful beneficial impact on the employment prospects of disabled people. As part of its evaluation, the Department should explore ways in which it can measure the success of the Disability Confident scheme. This should include, but not be limited to, a...
Matched on
terms: impact
Committee recommendation
53match
#6 - Second Report - Disability employment gap
The ONS’ Labour Force Survey (LFS) is currently unable to capture how people affected by the same broad symptom groups, such as energy limitation, are in employment. This is because the questions in the survey focus on medical diagnosis rather than symptoms. We recommend that DWP should work with the ONS to explore how it can use the...
Matched on
terms: dwp
NAO recommendation
51match
Delivery of employment support schemes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
h) [HM Treasury should] when designing similar grant schemes in the future, devise measurable financial impact tests for consideration by ministers. Where data are not available to validate eligibility we would normally expect a self-assessment of expected income to be preferable to having no test as it could significantly reduce payments to those not in need, and provide...
Matched on
terms: assessment, impact
PFD report
49match
Leonardo Machado
Insufficient oversight of 'rental' food delivery licenses to underage individuals places children in vulnerable lone working situations, increasing their risk of road traffic collisions and harm.
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#27 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
We recommend that vulnerable claimants or claimants with specific needs are prioritised for having the housing element of their Advance paid directly to their landlord. This could include people with learning disabilities, people with mental illness, people who have previously been homeless, or people with drug or alcohol addiction. (Paragraph 115) Increased financial support
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#21 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
For this group of claimants, the burden of future repayments of Advances is likely to be particularly difficult to bear. Given that benefits broadly provide people with a subsistence level of income, any system that reduces that monthly income, including through repaying an advance, is very likely to cause people difficulty. The Department already plans to extend the...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#19 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
The Department continues to claim that Advances are not loans, but we find that argument impossible to accept. Advances must be repaid at a set rate, over a set period. The Department risks misleading claimants, and damaging its own credibility, if it insists on denying the obvious fact that Advances are interest free loans. Unlike firms in the...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#12 - Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment
The evidence we received was overwhelmingly in favour of some form of initial, non-repayable payment for new Universal Credit claimants. That would give new claimants the money they need for basic living essentials like food and heating, without requiring them to repay a debt to the Department from their future Universal Credit payments. We agree that new claimants...
Matched on
classifier match
PHSO casework decision
48match
P-003055 - Department for Work and Pensions
Mr A complains that since August 2021 the DWP failed to pay him the correct amount of rent through an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA).
Matched on
terms: dwp