Government 'withheld' disabled death reports from watchdog
The independent expert hired to review the notorious ‘fitness for work’ assessment said he ‘would have remembered’ seeing damning reports into the deaths of seven vulnerable people
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Government hid reports on the deaths of benefit claimants from the independent expert they hired to review their “fitness for work” assessment, it has been suggested.
A response from the Department of Work and Pensions to a Freedom of Information request indicates that mandatory peer reviews into the deaths of vulnerable claimants were withheld from Professor Malcolm Harrington, who was commissioned to write a report into the work capability assessment.
Deaths of disability benefit claimants, including suicides, which could be linked to the work capability assessment are automatically subject to peer review. According to the Disability News Service, seven such peer reviews were produced between February 2012, when the DWP started collating them centrally, and November 2012, when the report was published.
DWP has admitted “there were seven peer reviews, from February 2012 until Professor Harrington’s report of that year, in which the terms ‘WCA’ or ‘Work Capability Assessment’ were mentioned.”
In its response to the FOI request it adds: “The Department does not hold any information to confirm or deny whether these Peer Reviews were shared with Professor Harrington.”
Professor Harrington, told the DNS he would have remembered being shown “such damning indictments of the system.”
“I have NO recollection of seeing any of these reviews,” he said. “Maybe my brain is failing, but such damning indictments of the system – if seen – should have triggered a response from me. It didn’t.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments