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.

What: In its response to the parliamentary petition, DWP says it has “no plans” to hold an independent inquiry into deaths linked to its actions, and that the Independent Case Examiner “did not find any evidence of misconduct by Civil Servants or Ministers” in the lead-up to Jodey Whiting’s death. DWP apologises for its failings in her case and says: “Unfortunately, in this instance the expected standard of customer service was not achieved.” The response ignores the petition’s reference to the many other deaths that have been closely linked to DWP policy. 

Why significant: DWP denying systemic problems within the department and again treating deaths linked to benefits as one-off mistakes.