Report into welfare reform finds that DWP staff lack empathy
- 09 Jul
A report by Citizens Advice Cymru has found that the Department of Work and Pensions' staff lack empathy and communicate poorly with claimants hit by welfare reforms.
The report, One day at a time, is based on evidence from across the bureaux network in Wales.
It says in the section about the awareness of benefit changes: "The DWP in particular came in for significant criticism in the manner they communicated with claimants, especially by some participants living with a disability or long-term health condition. A perceived lack of empathy from frontline staff and generic letters were amongst the issues raised. Many believed more could be done to ensure frontline staff have a better understanding of some of the issues people are facing," reports Inside Housing.
The reports recommends that the DWP and Jobcentre Plus should avoid using generic letters and improve the communication between themselves and housing associations.
Fran Targett, director of Citizens Advice Cymru, said unless additional support is given to help people cope with welfare reform it'll be ‘costly' down the line.
"The research highlights that the reduction in income caused by the benefit changes is hitting people that are already on a low income very hard. The impact it is having on peoples mental and physical health is particularly worrying. Unless people receive the support they need early on to help them manage these benefit changes, it will likely lead to more costly interventions down the line, putting additional pressures on health and social care services which are already under considerable strain."
Jeff Cuthbert, minister for communities and tackling poverty, said: "We believe that responsible reform should be delivered alongside the right help for those that need it and protection for those at greatest risk."
A DWP spokesman said: "The benefits system this government inherited was broken, trapping the very people it was designed to help into cycles of worklessness and welfare dependency. Our welfare reforms will transform the lives of some of the poorest families in our communities with universal credit making three million households better off and lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. We continue to spend around £94bn a year on working age benefits to provide a safety net for millions of people on low incomes or unemployed so they can meet their basic needs."
What do you think of this? Tweet us your comments @suppsolutions
Image source: http://www.freeimages.com/photo/1088924
Related articles
- 08 Nov
NHS BOSS SETS OUT A CASE FOR CASH BOOST
The speech by Mr Stevens at the NHS Providers' annual conference of health managers is being made at the time when three reputable health think-thanks- the Health Foundation, the King's Fund and the...
- 09 Jun
THERESA MAY PLEDGES TO REPLACE THE MENTAL HEALTH ACT 1983
According to Ms May, the new bill would introduce the following:According to the Tories, the proposals were described as the biggest change to mental health treatment law in over 30 years.Ms May...
- 30 May
THE PRESENT FIRST PRIME MINISTER OF SCOTLAND IS TO PLEDGE AGAINST ANY PLANS TO PRIVATISE THE NHS
It is also expected that Sturgeon will do the following as proof of her party's commitment to fighting against further austerity:Sturgeon said this before Tuesday's manifesto launch:"While the polls...
- 17 Mar
402 MILLION POUNDS WILL BE INVESTED IN COUNCILS WITH THE GREATEST HOMELESSNESS DEMAND FROM APRIL 2017
Presently, funding is only used for homeless households and not for the prevention of homelessness in the first instance.The funding by the Department for Communities and Local Government is set to...
- 15 Mar
RULES AROUND PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENTS MAY CHANGE ON THURSDAY
Ministers have advised chief executives of over 30 charities which claimed that people will be left without vital financial support, to restrict access to a disability benefit.The Disability Benefits...
- 06 Mar
THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN URGED BY THE BMA TO INCREASE HEALTH SPENDING BY 10 BILLION POUNDS
This increase in health spending to a proportion of GDP that matched that of the 10 leading economies across Europe could pay for at least 35,000 extra beds a day and many more GP's, according to the...
- 05 Sep
MANY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REFUGES AT RISK OF CLOSING DUE TO HOUSING BENEFIT CAP
Women who have been victims of domestic violence as well as their children are at risk of falling into the hands of their violent partners if the government caps housing benefit in the social sector...
- 03 Sep
Data on disability benefits refused by DWP
DWP officials have refused a second request for basic information on disability benefits using the “Section 22” exemption they used previously, reports The Independent.The Department had been...
- 02 Sep
UN to investigate how welfare reforms will affect disability rights
A disability charity in Scotland has said it’s been contacted by the UN’s Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as part of an inquiry into Britain’s treatment of people with...
- 01 Sep
Benefit cuts affecting 48,500 families in Liverpool
Analysis from Liverpool City Council has found that around 48,500 households are likely to lose their benefits due to new government reforms, reports the Liverpool Echo. Councillor Jane Corbett has...
What are the Future Funding Arrangements for Supported and Sheltered Housing? "Information on Exempt Accommodation & DWP Review was very informative, but also commend your approach in delivering workshops/conferences in a proactive way, and use of email and your website as a public resource" P.C. - The Hyde Group
"Michael Patterson's #supportedhousing #blog: #ValueGeneration, a new way of funding & commissioning service for peo… https://t.co/UrygcMyTZG" read more
"The latest Invest In Prevention! https://t.co/3Fp2fG8TBU Thanks to @1HomelessAction @simonjduffy @SCVOSandwell #ukhousing #socialhousing" read more
