This is a House of Commons committee report, with recommendations to government. The Government has two months to respond.
The Department for Work and Pensions provides essential services that act as a lifeline to millions of people each year, many of whom are vulnerable and require additional support to access them. For this reason, when mistakes are made, it is possible that the severest consequences can arise. Over several years there are known to have been hundreds of serious harms and deaths of claimants, and the cases of Errol Graham, Philippa Day and Kevin Gale have particularly been highlighted to us as part of this inquiry. From coroners’ inquests and other reports, we know many of these deaths could have been prevented by the DWP.
First Report of Session 2024–25
Date Published: Thursday 15 May 2025
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Contents
- — Summary
- — 1 Introduction
- — 2 A renewed approach to safeguarding
- — 3 Systems-based policymaking
- — 4 Defining ‘vulnerability’ and identifying additional needs
- — 5 Ensuring accessibility and supporting claimants
- — 6 Preventing harm and responding to risk
- — 7 Reviewing harm and learning from mistakes
- — Annex 1: Virtual roundtables summary note
- — Annex 2: In-person roundtable summary note
- — Annex 3: DWP staff survey
- — Conclusions and recommendations
- — Formal Minutes
- — Witnesses
- — Published written evidence
- — List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmworpen/402/report.html
