22 July 2020

What: In oral evidence to the work and pensions committee, Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, describes steps her department has taken to improve safeguarding, while also claiming that DWP does not have a legal safeguarding duty. She also says that the number of investigators that are part of the internal process review group has increased but she avoids questions about individual claimants who have died, saying that she cannot answer questions because of ongoing legal actions being taken by the families of claimants who have died.

Why significant: A rare discussion by a minister of safeguarding issues within the department, but also evasion about discussing specific claimant’s deaths (see later letters and responses 30 July 2020, and September 2020).