Safeguarding vulnerable claimants inquiry: Work and Pensions Committee to question Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
MPs hear from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) as part of the Work and Pensions Committee’s inquiry examining how DWP supports vulnerable benefit claimants and whether its approach to safeguarding needs to change.
Meeting details
The PHSO is the independent body set up by Parliament to make final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS and government departments. Ombudsman Rob Behrens and CEO Rebecca Hilsenrath will be asked about the experience of dealing with complaints from benefit claimants.
They are likely to be questioned on DWP’s approach to identifying and supporting people at risk of harm and how easy the Department makes the complaints process. The witnesses could also be asked about how DWP deals with systemic problems in the safeguarding process and how it cooperates with PHSO investigations.