Vulnerable claimants face “a high risk of destitution, rapid deterioration in their health, and even death” because of the DWP’s failure to safely migrate them to universal credit, the National Association of Welfare Rights Workers (NAWRA) warned yesterday. In total, 26,000 ESA claimants are expected to fail to make the move.
In a letter to the work and pensions committee (WPC), the welfare rights specialists’ organisation points out that according to the DWP’s own statistics 6% of all employment and support (ESA) only claimants failed to make a claim to universal credit and had their legacy benefits stopped.
NAWRA warns that “these claimants will all have long-term health conditions and/or disabilities, and their legacy benefits are likely to be their only source of income. A failure to migrate to universal credit therefore carries a high risk of destitution, rapid deterioration in their health, and even death.”
The group provides case studies to illustrate the desperate situation of some of their clients.
Case study 1 – claimant has huge difficulty engaging with anyone – adult social care set up a package of support but the claimant would not let anyone into his property. Because claimant was not engaging, DWP has said it will terminate legacy benefits and make a safeguarding referral. Adviser requested further extensions to the deadline but refused. Taking away claimant’s income is highly unlikely to encourage him to make contact and he risks being unable to meet his basic needs leading to severe harm or possibly death.
Case study 2 – claimant with severe communication difficulties and finds any interaction with others excruciating. Legacy benefits were stopped as the final deadline was missed and although the adviser managed to help the person make a universal credit claim, there was a gap and DWP (incorrectly) failed to add a limited capability for work-related activity to the claim meaning that the claimant is subject to full conditionality. Due to his difficulties he is highly likely to be sanctioned leaving him destitute.
NAWRA says that it “is extremely concerned that the DWP has no plan on how it will support these claimants. Its response to stakeholders’ representations is that it can only do so much and that, having made a safeguarding referral to the local authority, it has met its duties.”
NAWRA has asked the WPC chair, Debbie Abrahams to exert pressure on the DWP to ensure it has procedures in place to ensure the migration process does not result in further preventable deaths.
As we pointed out last month, 17,000 ESA claimants have already failed to migrate and lost their benefit, with the final total expected to be over 26,000. At the time the DWP admitted that “some individuals with complex or multiple barriers may still not be able to engage with the process.”
And yet, the department is prepared to wash their hands of the problem.
The grim reality that the DWP is prepared to countenance the risk of multiple deaths simply for administrative convenience provides the clearest possible evidence that this is a failing department that desperately needs to be replaced.
