“DWP’s ‘frightening’ failure to protect victim of domestic violence must lead to change, say advocates”

Thanks to Disability News Service for highlighting a domestic abuse-related blunder by DWP staff, after the claimant went from a joint claim to a single person claim. This is in a DWP list of serious cases in 2023-4 which they investigated internally because their actions or failings may have affected a claimant who suffered serious harm, died, or attempted suicide.

We say in the article:

. . . it was “frightening” but unsurprising “that UC staff were so careless as to reveal information to a domestic abuser, and some kind of harm resulted.

“We don’t know what happened, and the DWP has deliberately not released more information.

“The way universal credit was set up, with all the payment going to one partner, unless you specifically ask for alternative arrangements, makes women financially dependent on partners, with greater risk of abuse.

“And disabled women are twice as likely to suffer domestic abuse as non-disabled women.

“Women say personal independence payment is a lifeline as it’s the only money we can call our own in an abusive relationship with joint finances – but even that is under threat.

“The DWP must prioritise women’s safety and protection, and our continuity of income, including when we have left violent men and are trying to set up home in a new place.”

She added: “The list also reveals many people wrongly cut off benefit, with tragic consequences.

“Our experience is, the DWP is indifferent to women’s and mothers’ suffering in all kinds of situations, regularly sanctioning bereaved claimants, cutting off survivors of violence and traumatised refugee women, which we have lodged complaints about.”

DNS adds:

“DWP did not answer questions about the case this week, but it insisted that it had improved its processes to ensure claimants in vulnerable situations receive the support they need (see separate story).”

Read the full article here