11 November 1999

The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 receives Royal Assent. Read More

2000

The death of Timothy Finn. Read More

1 January 2010

The death of Stephen Carré after finding that DWP had confirmed its decision to find him ineligible for ESA. Read More

30 March 2010

Prevention of future deaths (PFD) report finds that the rejection of his appeal that he was not fit for work was a ‘trigger’ in Stephen Carré’s death. Read More

4 May 2010

Coroner Tom Osborne receives initial response to the Stephen Carré PFD from DWP permanent secretary Sir Leigh Lewis. Read More

12 May 2010

Coroner Tom Osborne replies to Sir Leigh Lewis, saying that DWP does not need to investigate the circumstances surrounding Stephen Carré’s death but does need to investigate use of medical evidence. Read More

10 June 2010

The death of Paul Reekie. Read More

September 2010

DWP fails in its legal duty to respond to the Stephen Carré prevention of future deaths report. Read More

6 October 2010

Coroner Tom Osborne writes to the father of Stephen Carré, saying he has received no “substantive response” to his prevention of future deaths report. Read More

2011

Calum’s List website is created as a memorial page to remember “welfare reform deaths.” Read More

31 December 2011

The death of Ms DE (Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland later launches an investigation into her death). Read More

8 June 2012

The death of Karen Sherlock, 2 weeks after she was told she would be eligible once again to receive Employment support Allowance (ESA). Read More

20 June 2012

Email leaked from Jobcentre managers to staff after a claimant attempts suicide after being told his sickness benefit would be cut off. Read More

12 September 2012

MP raises concerns over the death of Colin Traynor, whose family say they “hold the Government…personally responsible”. Read More

25 September 2012

The death of Edward Jacques, a week after his Employment Support Allowance (ESA) was stopped, which his family say was a major “trigger”. The coroner raises issues with the assessment process, specifically the failure to get medical evidence. Read More

27 September 2012

The death of Brian McArdle, the day after he was deemed “fit to work” following a work capability assessment (WCA). Read More

15 November 2012

The Spartacus Network publishes the People’s Review of the Work Capability Assessment, documenting links between being found “fit for work” and people’s deaths. Read More

22 November 2012

Iain Duncan Smith questioned over benefit-related deaths on BBC Question Time. Read More

2013

Linda Wootton dies nine days after DWP upholds its decision to declare her “fit for work.” Read More

4 May 2013

The death of Stephanie Bottrill  – her suicide note blames the government’s “bedroom tax”. Read More

20 July 2013

The death of David Clapson, three weeks after having his jobseeker’s allowance sanctioned. Read More

9 August 2013

The death of Mark Wood after being found ineligible for Employment Support Allowance (ESA). Read More

23 August 2013

The death of David Barr, a month after the confirmation of the decision to find him fit for work, which his Father says was the trigger leading to his suicide.  Read More

24 September 2013

The death of Michael O’Sullivan after being found fit for work. Read More

25 September 2013

The death of Tim Salter after being found fit for work. A coroner later ruled that a major factor in his death was the reduction in his benefits. Read More

7 January 2014

Inquest into the death of Michael O’Sullivan, where the Coroner concludes that the trigger for Michael O’Sullivan’s suicide was his assessment as being fit for work, and writes a prevention of future deaths report to DWP, saying that “there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken”. Read More

March 2014

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland publishes a report into the death of Ms DE, finding that the process and denial of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) were a major factor in her suicide. Read More

22 August 2014

DWP questioned about what records they keep of deaths linked to the benefits system. Read More

Late September 2014

The new Conservative minister for disabled people insists DWP is right to ignore reports of deaths linked to benefits. Read More

14 October 2014

DWP admits for the first time that it carries out investigations into some deaths of claimants. Read More

7 November 2014

Faiza Ahmed (known to her family as Sophie) dies by suicide, hours after telling a jobcentre work coach that she was suicidal. Read More

10 November 2014

DWP questioned over how many coroner’s letters about benefits-related deaths it has received in the past 10 years. Read More

10 November 2014

DWP admits in a Freedom of Information response that it has carried out 60 peer reviews into deaths of benefits claimants. Read More

November 2014

Litchfield publishes fifth and final independent review of the work capability assessment, with no mention of the DWP’s own reviews into deaths of claimants. Read More

12 December 2014

DWP delays responding to freedom of information request on peer reviews into deaths of benefits claimants. Read More

January 2015

Labour MP speaks of “core visits” procedures, which are supposed to be followed when a  “vulnerable” person is sanctioned. Read More

2 February 2015

A man (name kept anonymous) dies by suicide after being rejected for both Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA). Read More

19 February 2015

DWP admits that 40 of the 49 peer reviews into the deaths of benefit claimants it has carried out were in response to suicides. Read More

March 2015

The death of Sheila Holt, following a work capability assessment. Read More

18 March 2015

The Commons work and pensions select committee calls for a new independent body to investigate deaths of benefit claimants. Read More

30 April 2015

Black Triangle film listing people whose deaths are linked to the welfare system.  Read More

8 May 2015

DWP admits that 10 of the 49 claimants whose deaths were examined by peer reviews had had their benefits sanctioned. Read More

29 May 2015

The death of Luke Alexander Loy, three months after being found fit for work and sanctioned. His sister said “he died as a result of Tory cuts”. Read More

26 June 2015

DWP says coroners’ letters expressing concern about the deaths of benefit claimants are not handled by a specific official, revealing no centralised process for accountability. Read More

August 2015

The death of Moira Drury, after the removal of her employment and support allowance (ESA). Read More

10 August 2015

The death of Frances McCormack. She left a note linking her hardship to the “bedroom tax”.  Read More

27 August 2015

DWP publish statistics on how many people died while claiming out-of-work benefits. Read More

29 August 2015

The death of Alan McArdle, an hour after being told that DWP was threatening to sanction him – stopping his employment and support allowance (ESA). Read More

17 September 2015

Information commissioner rejects complaint about DWP refusal to release peer reviews, supporting DWP’s’ response that this would breach data protection. Read More

13 October 2015

Priti Patel denies causality between sanctions and suicides. Read More

14 October 2015

Mother of Mark Wood (who died after being found ineligible for employment and support allowance (ESA)) gives evidence to UN committee. Read More

21 October 2015

Prime minister David Cameron is asked about the death of Michael O’Sullivan. Read More

23 October 2015

Ministry of Justice releases Stephen Carré prevention of future deaths (PFD) report.  Read More

November 2015

The death of Paul Donnachie, after his employment and support allowance (ESA) is removed. Read More

16 November 2015

Research shows links between Work Capability Assessments and suicides Read More

December 2015

DWP, in guidance to healthcare professionals working for Maximus, changes suicide from a “definitive” “substantial risk” if forced into work, to something that should be weighed against ‘benefits of employment”. Read More

20 January 2016

Coroner publishes prevention of future deaths (PFD) report into death of Sophie/Faiza (see 7 November 2014), calling for DWP to take action to prevent further deaths. Read More

28 January 2016

Ministry of Justice refuses to investigate DWP’s failure to respond to Stephen Carré prevention of future deaths (PFD) report. Read More

3 March 2016

Information Rights Tribunal hears Disability news Service case against the information commissioner over its finding that DWP did not need to release peer reviews into the deaths of benefit claimants. Read More

23 March 2016

Disabled activists ask Scottish police to investigate ministers over work capability assessment (WCA) deaths. Read More

April 2016

DWP sends out reminder to staff about six-point suicide prevention plan. Read More

11 April 2016

The Information Rights Tribunal rules DWP must release redacted versions of peer reviews. Read More

5 May 2016

DWP figures shows that of the 49 peer reviews into deaths of people claiming benefits, 18 of the people who had died by suicide had been claiming employment support allowance (ESA). Read More

12 May 2016

DWP releases redacted versions of 49 peer reviews, showing that ministers were repeatedly warned that policies were putting the lives of “vulnerable” claimants at risk. Read More

19 May 2016

The death of Susan Roberts, after being told she had lost a benefit appeal. Read More

17 July 2016

Kamil Ahmad, a disabled Kurdish asylum seeker, is murdered  Read More

30 August 2016

New reviews into deaths of people claiming benefits show DWP staff keep failing to follow suicide guidelines. Read More

13 September 2016

Freedom of information battle with DWP finds Maximus memo on suicide guidance and medical evidence was sent a few days after the existence of the Michael O’Sullivan prevention of future deaths report was first revealed. Read More

October 2016

Iain Duncan Smith denies responsibility for WCA deaths. Read More

December 2016

Scottish criminal justice agencies reject request to launch criminal investigation into links between DWP and the death of David Barr. Read More

19 December 2016

Professor Harrington believes he was never shown work capability assessment (WCA) related peer reviews into claimants’ deaths. Read More

12 January 2017

The death of Lawrence Bond, hours after visiting jobcentre. Read More

February 2017

Green party sends dossier of 50 deaths of benefit claimants to DWP, calling for an inquiry. Read More

21 February 2017

The death of Jodey Whiting, after being found fit for work, despite telling the DWP about her suicidal thoughts. Read More

14 March 2017

DPAC and Inclusion London respond to the UN report, raising the connection between benefit changes, people’s deaths and Government failures. Read More

21 April 2017

The death of Diane Hullah, linked to anxiety caused by the personal independence payment (PIP) application process. Read More

24 May 2017

Inquest into the death of Jodey Whiting fails to investigate DWP’s potential role in her death. Read More

26 July 2017

The death of Mark Barber, shortly after learning his disability benefits would be cut. Coroner mentions stress linked to reassessment for disability benefits. Read More

November 2017

Windrush scandal shows UK Government threatening, detaining, and deporting Commonwealth citizens.  Read More

10 November 2017

WinVisible submits evidence to the Commons work and pensions select committee about how assessment regime causes disabled women “terrifying insecurity”, including links to deaths, including suicides.  Read More

14 December 2017

Department of Health’s national suicide prevention strategy fails to warn NHS of the suicide risk associated with employment and support allowance (ESA).  Read More

14 December 2017

NHS statistics on the link between employment support allowance and suicide prompt calls for inquiry and prosecution of ministers. Read More

25 January 2018

DWP decides not to trial softer sanctions regime, despite this being recommended by the Commons public accounts committee. Read More

14 February 2018

The Commons work and pensions committee finds the assessment system is undermined by “pervasive culture of mistrust”. Read More

21 May 2018

DWP “has no record” of whether it showed documents about deaths related to work capability assessments to a reviewer. Read More

June 2018

Research published from five-year study into welfare conditionality, findings include link between sanctions and deaths, including suicide. Read More

20 June 2018

The death of Errol Graham, months after DWP wrongly stopped his employment support allowance (ESA), and failed to seek further medical evidence. Read More

19 July 2018

Four opposition parties demand DWP answers over work capability assessment deaths “cover-up”. Read More

17 September 2018

Number of DWP investigations (internal process reviews) into deaths of people claiming benefits double in two years. Read More

18 October 2018

The new “minister for suicide prevention” evades questions on statistics showing links between employment and support allowance (ESA) and suicide. Read More

November 2018

The sister of a man with learning difficulties says his death was caused by his move onto the government’s “chaotic” universal credit system.  Read More

16 November 2018

UN rapporteur says government has ‘inflicted great misery’ on disabled people. Read More

18 November 2018

The death of Roy Curtis, six days after being asked to attend a face-to-face work capability assessment (WCA). Read More

22 January 2019

Ministers fail to include DWP in cross-government suicide prevention plan, despite evidence linking suicides with disability benefits assessment system. Read More

1 February 2019

DWP figures show thousands died after having personal independence payment (PIP) claims rejected. Read More

21 February 2019

DWP failed five times to follow safeguarding rules before Jodey Whiting’s suicide. Read More

11 March 2019

DWP figures suggest deaths linked to the work capability assessment (WCA) may have fallen. Read More

13 March 2019

Prime minister Theresa May questioned about the death of Jodey Whiting. Read More

25 March 2019

DWP withholds documents on benefits-related deaths from work capability assessment (WCA) review team. Read More

April 2019

The death of James Oliver, a few months after DWP’s refusal to grant him personal independence payment (PIP). Read More

8 April 2019

DWP responds to Justice for Jodey Whiting petition, saying it has “no plans” to hold an independent inquiry into deaths linked to its actions. Read More

15 April 2019

The death of Stephen Smith, following an 18-month battle with DWP over being found fit for work. Read More

10 May 2019

Senior judges rule to lower the standard of proof in determining suicide. Read More

6 June 2019

MP Debbie Abrahams asks the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to investigate why evidence about deaths linked to the work capability assessment (WCA) was withheld from independent reviews. Read More

4 July 2019

Minister questioned over failure to pass evidence about deaths linked to the work capability assessment (WCA) to independent reviewer. Read More

4 September 2019

DWP secures funding to set up an independent panel to examine cases where its own failings have led to the deaths of benefit claimants. Read More

16 October 2019

The death of Philippa Day, after she had been told she would need to attend an assessment centre for a face-to-face appointment to decide her claim for personal independence payment (PIP). Read More

Late November 2019

The death of Christian Wilcox, a few days before he is due to attend an appeal tribunal into DWP’s decision to remove his personal independence payment (PIP). Read More

2 December 2019

Disability News Service publishes five-year investigation into deaths linked to the work capability assessment (WCA). Read More

23 January 2020

The death of Errol Graham receives first publicity (he died in 2018). Read More

23 January 2020

The case of Errol Graham’s death is referred to DWP’s new serious case panel. Read More

27 January 2020

The deaths of Jodey Whiting and Errol Graham mentioned in the Commons. Read More

28 January 2020

DWP admits the serious case panel will not be independent. Read More

20 February 2020

The coroner for Errol Graham says she will push DWP on promised safeguarding review (which persuaded her not to submit a prevention of future deaths (PFD) report).  Read More

20 February 2020

DWP misled Errol Graham coroner over safeguarding review. Read More

21 February 2020

DWP admits destroying pre-2015 peer reviews into suicides and other deaths of benefit claimants. Read More

24 February 2020

MP reads list of 24 people whose deaths are linked to DWP policy, in Parliament.   Read More

5 March 2020

Chair of the work and pensions committee asks work and pensions secretary questions about the NAO report. Read More

24 April 2020

Coroner fails to investigate DWP links to death of PIP claimant Read More

25 June 2020

The Equality and Human Rights Commission says it will not carry out an inquiry into links between DWP and the deaths of disabled claimants. Read More

16 July 2020

Coroner’s prevention of future deaths report into death of Faiza Ahmed is made public, showing jobcentre’s failings contributed to her death. Read More

16 July 2020

Family or Errol Graham win right to court challenge on DWP safeguarding. Read More

22 August 2020

Death of Mercy Baguma, an asylum seeker from Uganda.   Read More

8 September 2020

New DWP figures show that, in just two years, 1,700 disabled people died within three months of having their claim for personal independence payment (PIP) rejected.  Read More

30 November 2020

Newly-released internal process reviews show that a number of suicides between 2014 and 2019 were linked to DWP staff’s failure to follow suicide guidance. Read More

4 December 2020

Coroner Tom Osborne files a Prevention of Future Deaths report on the death of Roy Curtis, but the DWP is not mentioned. Read More

10 December 2020

Coroner’s silence over why DWP did not give evidence at Roy Curtis inquest. Read More

17 December 2020

New analysis of figures suggests DWP is failing to investigate hundreds of suicides of benefits claimants. Read More

21 December 2020

High court is asked to order a second inquest into the death of Jodey Whiting. Read More

26 December 2020

The death of Philip Pakree, after distress caused by an upcoming work capability assessment (WCA). Read More

13 January 2021

High court hears evidence from family of Errol Graham in judicial review hearing. Read More

27 January 2021

Coroner at Philippa Day’s inquest finds flawed personal independence payment (PIP) system led to her death. Read More

3 February 2021

Work and pensions secretary avoids questions on Philippa Day death. Read More

23 February 2021

Report from the all-party parliamentary group on health in all policies, says 2016 welfare reforms had devastating impacts on disabled people, and calls for inquiry into deaths of benefit claimants. Read More

21 April 2021

House of Commons briefing paper on suicide prevention mentions benefits-related deaths. Read More

June 2021

Publication of DWP and Capita responses to Philippa Day prevention of future death (PFD) report.  Read More

22 and 23 June 2021

High court hears bid for second inquest into death of Jodey Whiting. Read More

July 2021

Bereaved families write to the work and pensions secretary to demand a public inquiry into benefits-related deaths. Read More

1 July 2021

The mother of Ker Featherstone describes how he took his own life, just weeks after DWP cut his personal independence payment (PIP). Read More

12 August 2021

DWP figures reveal sharp rise in internal process reviews into the deaths of benefit claimants. Read More

17 September 2021

Judges reject attempt by Joy Dove, the mother of Jodey Whiting, to secure a second inquest into her daughter’s death, saying that individual mistakes, not systemic failings, led to death.  Read More

November 2021

Capita agrees to compensate Philippa Day’s family for failings leading to her death. Read More

4 November 2021

Jodey Whiting legal fight continues with fresh request for permission to appeal against a high court ruling that there was no need for a second inquest. Read More

2 December 2021

Government’s reviewer tells MPs how DWP kept vital deaths evidence from him. Read More

3 December 2021

Coroner says DWP ‘must act’ after it told severely ill patient to leave hospital to make a claim for universal credit. Read More

8 December 2021

Coffey dismisses call for a new review of the WCA, despite being told of claimant deaths evidence. Read More

16 December 2021

Coroner silent on why DWP was not questioned at inquest, despite ‘nightmare’ messages left by claimant on benefit assessment paperwork. Read More

February 2022

Disabled activists ask human rights watchdog why it is failing to act over DWP deaths. Read More

1 February 2022

Minister ignores calls from MPs for inquiry into benefit deaths. Read More

8 March 2022

Shadow minister says he wants an inquiry into DWP deaths if Labour wins power. Read More

8 March 2022

Three disabled women make parliamentary call for action on DWP deaths. Read More

7 April 2022

EHRC confirms it has dropped plans for inquiry into DWP deaths. Read More

28 April 2022

Trio of disabled women say watchdog has failed them on benefit deaths. Read More

2 June 2022

DWP ignored research that linked WCA with 590 suicides, MPs are told. Read More

4 July 2022

Nine years on, family of Michael O’Sullivan win tribunal battle. Read More

4 July 2022

Deaths by Welfare timeline public consultation begins.  Read More

5 July 2022

Figures show Internal Process Reviews (IPRs) into deaths and serious harm of claimants  have doubled in three years. Read More

6 September 2023

MPs refuse to question minister over Deaths by Welfare timeline. Read More