Page 66 - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making

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b) The option for alternative payment period.
c) The option to apply for an advance payment, whilst waiting five weeks
for the first monthly payment. This currently appears on the homepage
only after the claim has been submitted. It should be made a part of the
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application process or added to the to-do list as an explicit choice.
d) When claimants appeal a decision related to a health and disability
assessment to the FTT (SCCS), the Tribunal will often recommend that
the appellant should not be reassessed for a certain number of years. We
were told that claimants are currently being called for reassessment prior
to this time because the system sends out automated notifications that do
not take into account the Tribunal decision. These are not checked by
someone within DWP until the last minute, by which time the claimant
has already suffered significant stress and anxiety at the prospect of
being reassessed. The system should automatically update after the
Tribunal decision is made so that claimants aren’t called unnecessarily
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for reassessments.

Transparency

2.85 One of the biggest issues with the use of automation and artificial intelligence
by the DWP is the lack of transparency. The UN Special Rapporteur on
extreme poverty and human rights found that “the existence, purpose and
basic function of these automated government systems remains a mystery in
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many cases fuelling misconceptions and anxiety about them”.

2.86 Automation does not inherently threaten human rights or the rule of law, but
without more transparency about the development and use of automated
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systems it is impossible to assess its impact. Computers make errors and,

180 In Scotland, claimants can request twice-monthly payments (Social Security Directorate, Universal
Credit: new choices for people living in Scotland (2018)).
181 R. Pope, Universal Credit: Digital Welfare (see n. 56 above), p. 53.
182 P. Booth, ‘Work and Pensions Committee Oral evidence: Universal Credit: the wait for first
payment, HC 204’, July 2020, Q 198.
183 P. Alston, ‘Statement on Visit to the United Kingdom’ (see n. 1 above) p. 11.
184 Ibid.

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