• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / Benefits and Poverty / Lib Dem minister casts doubt on DWP response on benefits deaths

Lib Dem minister casts doubt on DWP response on benefits deaths

By John Pring on 10th October 2014 Category: Benefits and Poverty, News Archive, Politics

Listen

newslatestA Liberal Democrat minister has cast doubt on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) claims that it does not collect or analyse accounts of disability benefit-related deaths.

The comments of pensions minister Steve Webb at his party’s annual conference in Glasgow raise new concerns about the accuracy of information provided by DWP on the most controversial aspect of its welfare reforms.

There have been numerous reports of disabled people whose deaths have been linked to the employment and support allowance (ESA) claim process, or the refusal of ESA and other benefits, including the writer Paul Reekie, who killed himself in 2010, and the deaths of Nick Barker, Jacqueline Harris, Ms DE, and Brian McArdle.

Many of the cases became widely-known through media reports of inquests, but in the case of Ms DE, the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland concluded that the work capability assessment process and the subsequent denial of ESA was at least a “major factor in her decision to take her own life”.

But DWP has stated in a response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) Act request from Disability News Service (DNS) that it does not hold information on deaths that have been reported to be connected to the withdrawal or non-payment of disability benefits.

And the new Conservative minister for disabled people, Mark Harper, insisted that his department was right to ignore reports of such deaths and said he did not accept that DWP should be collecting this information or trying to learn lessons from such deaths.

But Steve Webb, the Liberal Democrat pensions minister, and a departmental colleague of Harper, told DNS in Glasgow: “Everybody is concerned at a situation like this happening.”

He said there “may not be a systematic approach” within the department, because of the number of inquests that are held, but that “when cases come up, clearly when the department becomes aware of cases through the media, they do get looked at”.

Webb refused to comment further. DNS later contacted his Commons office to ask him to clarify and expand on his comments, but he has so far failed to respond.

Meanwhile, DWP has again failed to respond to requests for a comment on the FoI answer. DNS first asked DWP to explain and clarify its position on 24 September.

9 October 2014

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on RedditShare on LinkedIn
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Related

Government ignores warnings of new DWP deaths, and UN intervention, as MPs pass universal credit cuts bill
10th July 2025
Race against time to secure DWP deaths evidence before parliament passes new benefit cuts bill
10th July 2025
Minister ignored concerns from disabled advisers, months before publishing cuts bill
10th July 2025

Primary Sidebar

On the left of the image are multiple heads of different colours - white, aqua, red, light brown, and dark green - all grouped together, then the words ‘Campaign for Disability Justice. Sign up to support. #OpportunitySecurityRespect’
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Access

Latest Stories

Government ignores warnings of new DWP deaths, and UN intervention, as MPs pass universal credit cuts bill

Urgent letter from UN to Labour government warns: We think your cuts continue Tory attack on disability rights

Race against time to secure DWP deaths evidence before parliament passes new benefit cuts bill

‘Complete shift in thinking’ needed on education of disabled children, says ALLFIE

Minister ignored concerns from disabled advisers, months before publishing cuts bill

Frustration after government only issues partial ban on new floating bus stops

Report suggests five big ideas that could transform disabled people’s mobility

My new book shows exactly why we need the disability movement, says disabled author

‘Disastrous’ cuts bill that leaves legacy of distrust and distress ‘must be dropped’

Four disabled Labour MPs stand up to government over cuts to disability benefits

Advice and Information

Readspeaker
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Footer

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

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web