The National Audit Office (NAO) has released its annual audit of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) accounts. The government spending watchdog has reported that benefit payment errors are at their highest since 2005/06 and that the DWP is losing more money through its own errors than it does by fraud. Universal Credit has also been criticised for having
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) faces further embarrassment after their latest figures show 74% of Personal Independence (PIP) claimants win when appealing their original benefit decision. Despite these figures, the under fire department decided to extended the contracts of the private assessment companies undertaking health assessments PIP. These latest figures once again raise the question on the fitness
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are once again under fire after it emerged that they have paid out over £600 million to two private companies who carry out benefit health assessments. Atos and Maximus have had their contracts to carry out health assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) extended despite having been
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A Labour MP has written to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) asking them to investigate the circumstances around the high number of deaths following benefit claimants being found Fit for Work or having their benefits reduced or cut. Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams has written to the EHRC following the news that over 10,000 Personal Independent
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are facing further criticism following the release of yet another shocking statistic. In an answer to a written question it was revealed that 52% of claimants moved from Disability Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) have had the high rate element of mobility removed. That means that since 2013, over half a
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On the same day the United Nations report on Extreme Poverty was released. the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) embarked on their deceptive puff piece on Universal Credit. However, all did not go according to plan. Activists and unions send the host paper, the Metro Free Newspaper, a strong message by starting a campaign to bin the papers. I
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It has emerged that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plan to start a covert campaign to tackle “misinformation” about Universal Credit. A memo first revealed by the Guardian, talks of an unbranded wraparound advert on the Metro Newspaper and a BBC Two documentary they helped make. It is a propaganda campaign North Korea would be proud of due
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A written question to The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed that government contractor Maximus, have failed to meet targets two-thirds of the time since March 2015. This raises serious questions as to why earlier this year, the private firm had its contract renewed until 2021 despite failing so badly. Maximus are one of the private companies paid
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The High Court have once again dealt a damning blow to the government’s Universal Credit plans. Today that a judge has ruled the government’s Universal Credit migration arrangements for those who previously received the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) and, moved onto Universal Credit before 16 January 2019 as; “unlawful.” The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will have to rethink
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A new report by the charity, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), has warned that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) “inadequate” communications and frequent administrative errors, are resulting in Universal Credit claimants receiving the wrong amount. It also says that 1 in 5 cases they deal with are as a result of DWP errors. Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG),
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The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) have released a damning report on Universal Credit and how it will affect claimants financially in the future. The report states that while some will benefit, the poorest 10% of claimants will be an average of £150 worse off per year. Worse still, claimants with a long term disability will be especially hit. The
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The Work and Pensions Committee at Westminster have criticised the government for its response to a report they compiled on the issues Universal Credit claimants requiring help with childcare costs have. They have accused the government of failing to listen and for showing contempt to those who gave evidence of the struggles they face. The Work and Pensions Committee is
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I recently wrote about the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) collaborating with Channel 4’s popular program Gogglebox. In an exclusive I can now reveal that this single two minute advert cost us the taxpayer a staggering £315,000. The DWP are being accused of wasting taxpayer cash as it has emerged they paid the production company of the popular Channel
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The government has been accused of covering up a significant report on Universal Credit to hide the poor results. The study which looks at the transition from Tax Credits to Universal Credit is dated November 2017. It was carried out jointly by HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and its results although dated, paints a dire picture
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