DWP admits missing ‘six’ chances to help disabled woman before death

The Division for Work and Pensions has admitted a number of Common Credit score failures earlier than a disabled girl’s demise. The DWP has admitted lacking a number of alternatives to document the “vulnerability” of a disabled girl whose demise was later linked to failings of the advantages system.

Nazerine (generally known as Naz) Anderson, from Melton Mowbray, died in June final yr and the DWP missed six alternatives to document her “vulnerability” on its IT system whereas it was reviewing her declare, an inquest heard. A coroner additionally heard the DWP “repeatedly didn’t act on requests to direct its phone calls and letters to her daughter”, the Incapacity Information Service warned.

Six days after receiving the ultimate piece of correspondence from DWP, she tried to take her personal life, dying from the results a month later in hospital. On the inquest, the DWP admitted some workers have “totally different entry ranges on departmental techniques”.

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It means “some colleagues can’t pin data to claims or use the extra assist perform on the UC system”, the DWP added. The division vowed to rollout a marketing campaign “to advertise consciousness and understanding of the extra assist tab amongst UC colleagues” after the tragedy. The advantages division didn’t act “regardless of Naz being tearful and distressed on the phone on a couple of event and advising the DWP of data surrounding her psychological well being and her incapability to manage”, the inquest heard.

A DWP spokesperson stated: “Our condolences stay with Ms Anderson’s household. We’ve got responded to the coroner’s report in full, setting out assist for susceptible claimants, obligatory psychological well being coaching for frontline workers, and adjustments we’re making in response to the report.”

The coroner stated: “Regardless of the DWP case staff and name handlers having the provision of a further assist tab on a profile of a buyer on the DWP pc system, there have been 6 missed alternatives to make use of this facility to document important details about Naz’s vulnerability, regardless of Naz being tearful and distressed on the phone on a couple of event and advising the DWP of data surrounding her psychological well being and her incapability to manage.

“This meant there was no alert to DWP workers of Naz’s vulnerability and consequently no adjustment to how communication was made with Naz. The set off for psychological well being decline and Adjustment Dysfunction continued.”