**MPs Say DWP Could Have Averted Deaths of Vulnerable Benefit Claimants**
A deeply critical parliamentary report has concluded that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) missed vital opportunities to prevent the tragic deaths of vulnerable individuals receiving benefits. The cross-party Work and Pensions Committee pointedly warned that while the DWP serves as a crucial safety net for millions, failures within the department’s procedures have led to “the severest consequences”—including loss of life.
The findings come amid heightened scrutiny following several high-profile cases in which claimants died in distressing circumstances after their benefits were stopped. The committee’s report specifically references the case of Errol Graham, who died from starvation in 2018 just eight months after his disability benefits ceased. A coroner’s inquest later criticised the lack of information-sharing between agencies, suggesting that intervention could have made a difference to his fate.
According to the report, the DWP has launched around 240 internal investigations since 2020 into incidents involving serious harm, or into claims that its actions may have contributed to such tragedies. The committee observed that, over the past several years, “hundreds of serious harms and deaths of claimants” have occurred, a significant number of which “could have been prevented had DWP discharged its responsibilities more effectively.”
In response, MPs are calling for a transformative new legal duty on the DWP to protect the wellbeing of vulnerable benefit recipients. Such a duty, the committee suggests, should require the department to refer at-risk claimants to specialist agencies with an explicit duty of care, ensuring vulnerable individuals receive comprehensive support.
Committee chair Debbie Abrahams described the human cost of procedural failure in no uncertain terms. “We heard evidence that the very process of dealing with the DWP frequently caused acute psychological distress,” she stated. In cases where this distress led to individuals losing access to vital support, she added, “many had paid the ultimate price.” Abrahams further acknowledged that while some people are helped by the benefits system, there are widespread concerns about whether the system can be trusted to offer consistent and meaningful assistance.
The sense of disconnection and fear that permeates interactions with the DWP, according to the committee, is accentuated by ongoing departmental cuts and negative media portrayals of benefit claimants. Many people, the report notes, feel wary of admitting they need additional help, and this reluctance can worsen their vulnerability.
This sense of loss and systemic failure is all too familiar for campaigners like Joy Dove, whose daughter Jodey Whiting took her own life in 2017 after her benefits were stopped. Jodey, a mother aged 42, was sanctioned for missing a work capability assessment—her benefits were only restored after a six-week review. A later independent investigation found serious mishandling by the DWP in processing her claim. While Joy Dove expressed some comfort that the MPs’ findings may help others, she stressed the need for urgent reform: “It’s too late for my family, but if it helps others, it will be a good thing. We need to recognise when people are vulnerable. The DWP didn’t do that with my daughter.”
Dove recounted her exhaustive efforts to advocate for her daughter, including writing letters and personally attending the Jobcentre, but said her pleas fell on deaf ears. “No-one saw Jodey… She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t leave the house, but no-one cared. I welcome this report. I just hope it can make a difference.”
The DWP has responded to the committee’s report by emphasising its current commitment to improving safeguarding for people who rely on its services. A spokesperson stated: “This government is dedicated to safeguarding individuals who rely on our services and rectifying the deeply flawed welfare system we’ve inherited to cater to those who need it most.” The department is currently consulting on new reforms and has said it wants to create a system that “genuinely supports vulnerable people.”
While the DWP consultation proceeds, campaigners and MPs alike will be watching closely to see whether these recommendations translate into tangible change and lasting protection for the most at-risk benefit recipients.