Page 72 - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making

2.96 Robust quality control and oversight systems that are able to identify systemic
issues, understand why they are occurring and provide the insight required to
fix them are crucial to improving DWP decision-making, as is training to
ensure that decision-makers are aware of their legal obligations, guidance and
best practice. In order for quality control systems to be robust there needs to
be a clear and measurable set of performance standards, which, as the
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has pointed out, are
199
currently lacking. Such standards should be published so that claimants
know what they can expect from the DWP and it can be subject to external
scrutiny.

2.97 We agree with the Select Committee, EHRC and others that the DWP
should establish and implement suitable performance measures which
should be made publicly available and accompanied by clear targets to
help ensure that the welfare system is transparent and accountable. The
DWP should also commission an independent evaluation of its current
monitoring and quality assurance systems and processes and adopt any
recommendations made for improvement in order to ensure that such
performance measures and targets are met (or indeed that current policy
and guidance is being properly followed).

Independent regulator

2.98 Performance indicators alone are, however, insufficient. In our view there is
also a need for formal independent oversight of DWP decision-making. It is
the biggest Government department in terms of staff and expenditure, yet it
200
is currently not subject to any external oversight, other than the National
Audit Office, whose remit is spending and value for money. Although there
201

199 EHRC, ‘Briefing note for the Work and Pensions Select Committee: Using service standards to
improve the social security system’ (WSN0124, 2019).
200 B. Guerin, ‘Civil service staff numbers’ (Institute for Government, May 2021); Institute for
Government, ‘Departmental budgets’ (March 2020).
201 As noted above there was previously independent reviewers for WCAs and PIP assessments.
However, these were time limited roles (the last WCA review was in 2014 and the last PIP assessment
review was in 2017) and confined only to health and disability assessments (see n. 13 and n.14 above).
In Northern Ireland there have also been two independent reviews into the PIP assessment process in

63