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You are here: Home / Archives for Serco

Serco

One in five assessors have not had vital safeguarding training, despite years of DWP deaths

By John Pring on 12th February 2026 Category: Benefits and Poverty

One in five assessors have not had vital safeguarding training, despite years of DWP deaths
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One in five staff employed by contractors who carry out disability benefit assessments on the government’s behalf have not had vital safeguarding training, MPs have been told, despite years of deaths and serious harm linked to the tests. Members of the […]

Contracts reveal how companies should carry out benefit assessments over the next five years

By John Pring on 8th February 2024 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Contracts reveal how companies should carry out benefit assessments over the next five years
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Key details reveal how four private sector providers have been told to carry out health and disability benefit assessments over the next five years, after being awarded £2.8 billion-worth of contracts by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The contracts […]

Protesters say ‘obscene’ profits from ‘inhuman’ asylum housing conditions must end

By John Pring on 7th December 2023 Category: Housing

Protesters say ‘obscene’ profits from ‘inhuman’ asylum housing conditions must end
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Disabled refugees and allies have protested outside the Home Office at the “inhuman” treatment that disabled people seeking asylum receive from private sector companies paid to provide their accommodation. The protest called for an end to the “obscene profits” made by […]

Activists raise concerns over human rights record of company that ousted Atos

By John Pring on 26th October 2023 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Activists raise concerns over human rights record of company that ousted Atos
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Disabled activists have raised concerns about the human rights record of the outsourcing company that defeated Atos in the battle for a multi-million-pound disability benefits assessment contract. Disability News Service (DNS) reported last week that the government decision to award Serco […]

DWP tried to prevent Atos winning £338m assessment contract, court documents suggest

By John Pring on 10th August 2023 Category: Benefits and Poverty

DWP tried to prevent Atos winning £338m assessment contract, court documents suggest
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) tried to prevent its most controversial private sector contractor winning a five-year £338 million contract to provide disability benefit assessments, court documents suggest. Most of the successful bidders for five regional contracts to provide […]

DWP snubs coroner’s call for change after severely-ill patient was told to visit jobcentre

By John Pring on 24th February 2022 Category: Benefits and Poverty

DWP snubs coroner’s call for change after severely-ill patient was told to visit jobcentre
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has refused to “make any changes”, despite admitting that a disabled patient was told to leave hospital to visit a jobcentre when he was severely ill with a condition that later killed him. The […]

More than £100 million in public funding… and no accessible showers

By John Pring on 9th May 2019 Category: Transport

More than £100 million in public funding… and no accessible showers
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A train company that has received more than £100 million in public subsidies to pay for new carriages for a sleeper service from Scotland to London has failed to provide any accessible on-board showers, even though it is providing such facilities […]

PIP computer system crashes again… twice

By John Pring on 18th August 2016 Category: Benefits and Poverty

PIP computer system crashes again… twice
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Problems with the flawed computer system used to deal with claims for the government’s new disability benefit have left hundreds of callers stuck in lengthy telephone queues. The system used for new personal independence payment (PIP) claims has crashed twice in […]

PIP system crashes again… twice… but DWP still blames ‘technical glitches’

By John Pring on 19th May 2016 Category: Benefits and Poverty

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The computer system used for new personal independence payment (PIP) claims has crashed twice in a week, just days after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) insisted it was “working as it should”. On both occasions, last Wednesday (11 May) […]

‘Appallingly bad’ software may cause lost PIP letters, says whistleblower

By John Pring on 5th May 2016 Category: Benefits and Poverty

‘Appallingly bad’ software may cause lost PIP letters, says whistleblower
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Vital letters that tell disabled people they have to transfer to the government’s new disability benefit are being lost in the system, leading to them losing financial support for months on end, according to a whistleblower. Rebecca*, who has asked to […]

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Access failures at Tory conference leave wheelchair-user suspended in mid-air for more than an hour

Ministers’ decision to slash accessible housing targets was ‘unprincipled’, but Timms says they were right

Greens sideline disabled people at annual conference

National accessibility standards are crucial for addressing transport barriers, Tories hear at conference

Tories discriminate against disabled editor by blocking DNS from receiving key information at conference

Free social care is coming… but only if you’re over 65, government confirms after Burnham speech

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Image of front cover of The Department, showing a crinkled memo with the words 'Restricted - Policy. The Department. How a Violent Government Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence. John Pring.' Next to the image is a red box with the following words in white: 'A very interesting book... a very important contribution to this whole debate' - Sir Stephen Timms, minister for social security and disability. plutobooks.com and the Pluto Press logo.

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The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

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