The Department for Work and Pensions is facing calls for an independent inquiry into benefit-related deaths after a coroner said financial distress caused by the administration of welfare benefits had been the “predominant factor” in a 27-year-old mother’s decision to take an overdose.
Philippa Day died in 2019, two months after overdosing on insulin following what her family’s legal representatives described as a “long struggle” over her Personal Independence Payment benefits claim that exacerbated her mental health problems and left her hungry and without money.
In a virtual hearing at Nottingham Coroners Court yesterday, assistant coroner Gordon Clow gave a narrative verdict on Day’s death. He said he would also issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report to DWP – a move that suggests the department has lessons to learn from the case.
It is expected to call on DWP to consider and address timely mental-health training for call handers, improve record keeping and assessment processes, and ensure correspondence is accurate and does not create further stress.
Coroner Clow listed 28 failings made by DWP and PIP assessment contractor Capita, some of which were repeated errors and which he said could not be ascribed to individual error alone.
Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK, said it was time for a broader investigation of the impact the handling of claims had on vulnerable people.
“An independent Inquiry into benefit-related deaths is long overdue,” she said. “Philippa’s story is heartbreaking and reveals gross incompetence by the DWP and Capita.
“The DWP must take responsibility for safeguarding. It is in contact with millions of disabled people with a variety of complex physical and mental conditions. It needs to put care at the heart of its processes to ensure it actively supports our needs and protects us from systemic harm.”
Last year a National Audit Office investigation found DWP had received four Prevention of Future Deaths reports from coroners over the previous seven years, two of which were related to suicide.
It also found the department had investigated 69 suicides of benefits claimants since 2014-15, but cautioned it was “highly unlikely” the figure represented the number of cases it could have investigated.
The inquest into Day’s death heard that an application she had made for the PIP benefit had not been received and that payments of her Disability Living Allowance benefit had been stopped, causing her to fall into serious poverty, anxiety and despair.
The Day family’s legal representatives, specialist law firm Leigh Day, said calls to DWP had not been dealt with in accordance with the department’s safeguarding policy for service-users voicing suicidal intent.
The firm added that it had taken months for Day’s DLA to be reinstated and that she had been refused a home visit for assessment for PIP, against the advice of her community nurse.
A letter from DWP confirming the refusal was beside Day when she was found collapsed after her overdose.
Leigh Day partner Merry Varney said the inquest left “no doubt” that errors made by DWP and Capita had “materially contributed to the death of a much-loved mum, sister and daughter”.
She added: “My clients hope the changes the DWP and Capita have committed to make are done promptly and thoroughly to protect other families.”
A DWP spokesperson said Philippa Day’s death was a “deeply tragic” case.
“Our sincere condolences are with Miss Day’s family and we will carefully consider the coroner’s findings,” they said.
The spokesperson added that the department would also respond to the Prevention of Future Deaths report “in due course”.
A Capita spokesperson said the outsourcing giant also extended its sincere condolences to Day’s family.
“We would like to apologise to them for the mistakes made in processing her claim and the additional stress which was caused to Philippa,” the spokesperson said.
“We have strengthened our processes over the last 18 months and are committed to continuously working to deliver a high-quality, empathetic service for every claimant.
“In partnership with the DWP, we will act upon the coroner’s findings and make further improvements to our processes.”
The NAO produced its mini report on information held by DWP in relation to the death by suicide of benefits claimants after then-Work and Pensions Select Committee chair Frank Field raised concerns about the department’s response to his own inquiries in October 2019.