Monitoring the performance of the Department for Work and Pensions in 2012-13

In this report examining the performance of the Department for Work and Pensions in 2012-13, the Work and Pensions Committee highlights various areas of concern. The length of time disabled people are having to wait to find out if they are eligible for benefit is unacceptable, with some claims taking six months to process. The report recommends that: penalty clauses in the contracts with the assessment providers, Atos Healthcare and Capita Business Services, be invoked where necessary; DWP clear the existing backlog of PIP claims before reassessment of existing DLA claimants is extended; all necessary resources be devoted to meeting a 7 day target for processing PIP claims from terminally ill people. Also of concern is that the UK Statistics Authority reprimanded DWP a number of times in 2013 for the way it was handling benefit statistics. DWP must exercise care in the language used in accompanying press releases and ministerial comments in the media, to ensure it avoids the risk of feeding into negative public views about benefit recipients. The Government must also ensure that sufficient funding is available to local authorities beyond April 2015 to cover the costs of the localised welfare support schemes which have replaced the previous system of centrally administered emergency hardship payments. The open market in annuities is not yet working in the best interests of most pension scheme members: the Government and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) must make the open market option a realistic one for all those who purchase annuities.