18 October 2018

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

What: The new “minister for suicide prevention”, Jackie Doyle-Price, refuses to say if she will alert agencies across the country to NHS figures that show the high risk of suicide faced by ESA claimants.

Why significant: Shows again the government’s resistance to highlighting the risk of suicide faced by ESA claimants, despite claiming that they want to prevent suicides and identify those most at risk.