Department Of Work And Pensions Research Articles

Racism and the uneven geography of welfare sanctioning in England

AbstractThis paper presents the first spatial analysis of racial disparities in the UK welfare sanction regime. As part of their austerity programme, the UK government tightened the conditionality of welfare programmes and intensified the use of financial penalties against welfare claimants who failed to demonstrate compliance with these conditions. Analysing Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) data from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Office for National Statistics between 2012 and 2019 we draw attention to the spatially uneven and highly racialised geography of welfare sanctions in England. Claimants from racially minoritised backgrounds are consistently more likely to be referred for a sanction by Jobcentre caseworkers and receive an adverse decision at the hands of institutional decision‐makers. Within this, however, there are important scalar and spatial differences that warrant critical attention. In rural England, the risk of being sanctioned is substantially higher for all groups, but especially for Mixed heritage and Black/Black British claimants who in some areas are over twice as likely to be sanctioned as their White counterparts. Since ethnicity data have not been published for Universal Credit sanction decisions, the presented evidence offers critical insight into the potential persistence of racial injustice in applying welfare sanctions. We identify ‘hotspots’ of racism in the sanction regime, most of which are in rural areas, before offering three interpretative frameworks through which spatial and racial disparities might be explained. Any suggestion that such disparities simply derive from the behaviour of DWP staff fails to adequately account for deeply entrenched histories of welfare racism, rural racism and the role of welfare sanctioning in dynamics of racial capitalism: that is, disciplining and impoverishing racialised populations in ways that generate conditions for capital accumulation. By contributing new empirical and theoretical insights to the often neglected study of rural austerity and welfare, the paper calls for scholarship to investigate the variegations of welfare, austerity and racial capitalism in diverse rural contexts.

Methodological developments in administrative data linkage for cross cutting policy relevant research: Working towards a sustainable data pipeline

ObjectivesDevelop administrative linkages within a national Trusted Research Environment (TRE) that hosts Longitudinal Population Study (LPS) data for over 20 LPS. We will describe the methodological development carried out to enable linkage to administrative datasets. These linked administrative data will support research for public good, informing policy and practice.
 MethodsThe first sets of administrative data under consideration in this Feasibility Study are from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), the Department for Education (DfE) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Working with UK Government departments through a Task & Finish group we have gathered input from DWP, HMRC and DfE and Office for National Statistics (ONS) data sharing experts. The Task & Finish group identified three pragmatic data linkage and data sharing models, that would enable data to be linked via a newly designed secure data pipeline in a legal, secure, and trustworthy manner for all stakeholders.
 ResultsTo encourage sustainability and acceptability, a model designed to be maintained over a long period is based on the re-use of Departmental Personal Identifiable Information (PII) – i.e., name, date of birth, gender, National Insurance number - and attribute data already deposited by the Departments into ONS. ONS will develop for the linkage and extraction of ONS Data into the TRE a system which conducts, and quality assesses the linkage; minimises the Departmental data to participants within the TRE only and the variables specified in the agreements; and, de-identifies the data to their DEA processing standards. The minimised and functionally anonymous data extract will be securely transferred for ingest and integration into the TRE enabling researchers to address a wider range of questions for public benefit.
 ConclusionThis is a model for efficient and low-burden linkages to inform cross cutting research. It will form part of a responsive UK data science capability which can inform government research needs and be used to meet future crisis e.g. new pandemics, the impacts of climate change or economic shocks.

Falling between the cracks – the experiences of young parents on Universal Credit

ABSTRACT Those who become parents at a young age are more likely to have disadvantaged backgrounds such as growing up in low income families or to have experiences of being in care, which means they are more likely to face challenges as they become adults and parents. Despite the disadvantages many young parents face, they are neglected in UK policy, especially in relation to their experiences of the social security system where they receive lower levels of financial support from the state compared with older parents. This article draws on in-depth interview data at two points in time with nine young parents under the age of 25 claiming Universal Credit (drawn from a large sample of couples receiving Universal Credit). The findings show they faced extreme financial disadvantage, housing difficulties and problematic interactions with Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) staff and social services which impacted on their awareness and access to benefits. This article also explores the role of policy, poverty and power in influencing age related experiences of social security.

NHS staff with 'disabling conditions' after COVID-19 should be able to claim benefits, say government advisers

Government advisers have recommended that the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) should provide disablement benefits to NHS and social care staff who have “certain disabling conditions” following COVID-19 infection. The recommendation was made by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC), which oversees how benefits from accidents or diseases caused by work are awarded, through […]

The trials and tribulations of accessing data from routine sources

There are a number of administrative datasets that routinely record information on individuals in the UK. Such routine or ‘Big Data’ sources record specified data variables that are largely limited to those that enable the intended objectives of the data holder. Routine sources include clinical datasets such as Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). In addition, non-health data is recorded by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and The Driving and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) in order to meet the specified objectives of each authority. Routine data applied to clinical research is potentially cost and resource-use effective. Clinical sources of data such as HES and CPRD are commonly accessed to provide data for retrospective observational and record-linkage studies and there are many published examples. However, there is limited evidence on the use of routine data in prospective studies, particularly randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This on-going project aims to assess the feasibility, accuracy, reliability and additional benefits of using data from routine sources for patients participating in the Standard and New Antiepileptic Drugs II RCT. Clinical and health economic outcomes will be examined from sources including HES, CPRD, DWP, HMRC and DVLA and assessed in comparison to data obtained from traditional RCT methods. This presentation will narratively summarise the methods of access, application procedures and limitations encountered thus far with accessing individual-level, linked data from the listed routine data sources.

Atos strikes deals with NHS trusts to deliver disability assessments

Nurses at seven NHS trusts could be asked to assess the benefits claims of people with disabilities. The trusts have signed deals with the private company Atos Healthcare, which carries out medical assessments of benefit claimants on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The deals struck with the NHS relate to the new personal independence payments (PIPs), which will replace the disability living allowance in April. Nick Barry, general manager for the PIP contract at Atos said: ‘This is a new approach to delivering health and disability assessments. ‘Face-to-face consultations will be undertaken by experienced staff who are used to dealing with people with disabling conditions, differing needs and challenges.’ Atos has faced criticism from nurses over the quality of its assessments. They say the questions asked are not detailed enough, and that nurses are not always given the opportunity to exercise clinical judgement. RCN head of policy Howard Catton said the decision to subcontract the work raised questions about value for money. ‘There are significant issues about how efficient it is to have a company subcontracting to the NHS, given the costs involved and the red tape,’ he said. ‘It may be that the NHS is well-placed to deliver these services, but then why do they not deliver them directly?’ A spokesperson for DWP said NHS organisations had been given the opportunity to bid directly for the PIP assessment contracts, but none had done so. ‘We believe that it is right for Atos to partner with the NHS to offer PIP claimants familiar surroundings and experienced healthcare professionals.’ Two of the trusts, Pennine Acute Hospitals and York Teaching Hospital, said it would not have been feasible for them to bid for the contracts because they covered the whole of the north of England and they could not provide the service on that scale. A Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said it had taken on the Atos contract to generate income. An Atos spokesperson said the contracts come with financial penalties, risks that smaller organisations may not wish to carry. Atos has 300 service level agreements including one on the quality of reports. If they are not met, the receive a financial penalty. Nurses will debate the disability assessment system at RCN congress in May. A resolution calls for a campaign to review the current assessment process, which is described as ‘discriminatory and unfit for purpose.’

General practitioners' use of sickness certificates

At present, sickness certification is largely undertaken by general practitioners (GPs). Guidance from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) is available to help with this task; however, there has been little formal evaluation of the DWP's guidance in relation to day-to-day general practice. To assess GPs' training, knowledge and application of the DWP's sickness certification guidelines. A structured questionnaire was sent to GPs within a (former) primary care trust (PCT). It probed demographics, training and knowledge of sickness certification guidelines. Case histories and structured questions were used to assess current practice. In this group of 113 GPs, there was a low awareness and use of the DWP's guidelines and Website relating to sickness certification. The majority of the GPs (63%) had received no training in sickness certification, and the mean length of time for those who had received training was 4.1 h. Most GPs also felt that patients and GPs have equal influence on the duration of sickness certification. This evidence of variable practice indicates that GPs should have more guidance and education in sickness certification. Closer sickness certification monitoring through existing GP computer systems may facilitate an improvement in practice that benefits patients and employers. The DWP, medical educators and PCTs may all have an additional role in further improving sickness certification practice.

Commentary: From sickness to fitness: modernising medical certification

The coming years herald a radical overhaul of the sickness absence certification process in the UK, under direction of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). Decreased productivity, days lost and the associated healthcare expenses of ill health in people of working age in the UK is estimated to cost in excess of £100 billion per annum.1 This sum is equivalent to the gross domestic product of Portugal, and is greater than the total annual running costs of the NHS.2 It is an accepted view that work can be beneficial to health. Therefore there is a move towards promoting able employees back into …

Improving patients' lives: Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

Improving patients' lives: Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

Advice given to patients about return to work and driving following surgery

The post-operative advice given to patients by health care practitioners regarding return to work and return to driving may have an impact upon their absence duration. The only guidance that is readily available to assist health care practitioners give this advice is provided by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). To identify what advice local consultant surgeons, occupational physicians and general practitioners give to patients about return to work and driving, following benign abdominal hysterectomy (BAH) and Birmingham hip resurfacing (BHR). To explore health care practitioners' awareness of the DWP evidence-based return to work guidelines. A questionnaire was administered to 216 health care practitioners, asking them about the advice they would give to patients undergoing BAH or BHR, regarding return to driving and return to work. Fifty-eight per cent of all health care practitioners that responded were unaware of the DWP evidence-based guidance. Seventy-four per cent of occupational physicians were aware of this guidance but only 32% of general practitioners and 0% of hospital specialists. The advice given regarding expected duration of sickness absence was very variable, ranging between 2 weeks and >12 weeks for both BAH and BHR procedures. Twenty-one different operative 'patient information sheets' were examined and these included only very brief and very general advice about return to work. National guidance on post-operative return to work advice could be beneficial. The guidance should be supported by health care practitioners and provide advice about normal ranges of time to return to driving and to return to work.

PERCEPTIONS OF BENEFIT FRAUD STAFF IN THE UK: GIVING P.E.A.C.E. A CHANCE?

This article reports a study concerning perceptions of benefit fraud staff and of management concerning their own interviewing techniques and standards, and their views pertaining to a preferred model of interviewing. Interviewing fraud suspects forms an important task performed by Fraud Investigators (FIs) within the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) in the UK. Given this significance, it is surprising that there has been little analysis of the skills used to do this task. Current training consists of a course centred on an interviewing framework called the PEACE model, which was originally developed for police use.The research outlined in this paper examined both FIs and their managers’ perceptions and attitudes of the model and of their own practices. It was found that, while there was general support for the model, reservations were voiced over how effective PEACE may actually be in practice. These reservations centred on insufficient time to prepare for investigations along with a perceived inflexibility over the model’s framework. In, addition, it was highlighted that the absence of any national supervisory framework for investigative interviews should give the organization cause for concern in ensuring standards.

Measuring the neighbourhood using UK benefits data: a multilevel analysis of mental health status.

BackgroundEvidence from multilevel research investigating whether the places where people live influence their mental health remains inconclusive. The objectives of this study are to derive small area-level, or contextual, measures of the local social environment using benefits data from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and to investigate whether (1) the mental health status of individuals is associated with contextual measures of low income, economic inactivity, and disability, after adjusting for personal risk factors for poor mental health, (2) the associations between mental health and context vary significantly between different population sub-groups, and (3) to compare the effect of the contextual benefits measures with the Townsend area deprivation score.MethodsData from the Welsh Health Survey 1998 were analysed in Normal response multilevel models of 24,975 individuals aged 17 to 74 years living within 833 wards and 22 unitary authorities in Wales. The mental health outcome measure was the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) of the Short Form 36 health status questionnaire. The benefits data available were the means tested Income Support and Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, and the non-means tested Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance. Indirectly age-standardised census ward ratios were calculated to model as the contextual measures.ResultsEach contextual variable was significantly associated with individual mental health after adjusting for individual risk factors, so that living in a ward with high levels of claimants was associated with worse mental health. The non-means tested benefits that were proxy measures of economic inactivity from permanent sickness or disability showed stronger associations with individual mental health than the means tested benefits and the Townsend score. All contextual effects were significantly stronger in people who were economically inactive and unavailable for work.ConclusionThis study provides evidence for substantive contextual effects on mental health, and in particular the importance of small-area levels of economic inactivity and disability. DWP benefits data offer a more specific measure of local neighbourhood than generic deprivation indices and offer a starting point to hypothesise possible causal pathways to individual mental health status.

Countering Fraud Against the Department of Work and Pensions: A Case Study in Risk Management

The paper examines the utility of using risk management approaches to countering fraud in the public sector. This will be done by examining how one major public sector organization, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), has sought to organize its response to fraud committed against it. It will be posited that while they can claim some success in this approach, the nature of fraud will make any firm conclusions a matter of continuing debate. A fact implicitly acknowledged by the DWP itself, with its recent emphasis on Customer Compliance as a method of reducing fraud, rather then relying solely on the post-1998 strategy. Also, that concentration on one part of the strategy had implications for others.

Places, people and mental health: A multilevel analysis of economic inactivity

This paper investigates multilevel associations between the common mental disorders of anxiety, depression and economic inactivity measured at the level of the individual and the UK 2001 census ward. The data set comes from the Caerphilly Health & Social Needs study, in which a representative survey of adults aged 18–74 years was carried out to collect a wide range of information which included mental health status (using the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) scale of the Short Form-36 health status questionnaire), and socio-economic status (including employment status, social class, household income, housing tenure and property value). Ward level economic inactivity was measured using non-means tested benefits data from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) on long-term Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance. Estimates from multilevel linear regression models of 10,653 individuals nested within 36 census wards showed that individual mental health status was significantly associated with ward-level economic inactivity, after adjusting for individual-level variables, with a moderate effect size of −0.668 (standard error=0.258). There was a significant cross-level interaction between ward-level and individual economic inactivity from permanent sickness or disability, such that the effect of permanent sickness or disability on mental health was significantly greater for people living in wards with high levels of economic inactivity. This supports the hypothesis that living in a deprived neighbourhood has the most negative health effects on poorer individuals and is further evidence for a substantive effect of the place where you live on mental health.

Stakeholder Accountability: Workplace Injuries in the UK and Canada

An increasing feature of public services is the plurality of provision, but few studies examine how organizational arrangements affect stakeholder accountability for financial and performance issues. We examine stakeholder accountability for public services under different organizational forms by examining the workplace injuries systems in the UK and Canada (services provided through private insurance, direct government provision and stand-alone agency). The UK system is a largely uncoordinated arrangement of government provision through the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and compulsory private insurance. In Canada, the stand-alone Workers Compensation Boards (WCBs) administer a compensation system on a no fault basis and levy a fee from employers. The research study consisted of stakeholder interviews and documentary analysis in Canada and the UK. The primary stakeholders of the DWP industrial injuries benefit system; the commercial companies providing employers' liability schemes and the Canadian WCBs differ markedly. While all three arrangements have primary stakeholders that include (injured) workers and the government either in a regulatory or funding role, the importance of other stakeholders such as employers varies considerably. We found that stand-alone agencies can facilitate stakeholder accountability but 'voluntary' accountability can lead to lax targets. Government provision tends to rely on political accountability but with little consultation with interested parties. Commercial accountability neglects both the wider aspects of public accountability and the non-investor stakeholders. Stakeholder accountability needs to be planned and controlled under the different organizational forms. Where there is a range of provider, accountability for program elements should be established.