"We need to up our scrutiny of the DWP to make sure that they acting better on behalf of taxpayers, but they are better serving the people in need – particularly where those people are vulnerable."
- Johnny Timpson
MorganAsh chairman and former dementia adviser to the Prime Minister, Johnny Timpson OBE, has called for greater scrutiny of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), asking for it to be brought in line with regulated sectors in its approach to vulnerable customer policy and practices.
It follows his resignation last week from the Prime Minister’s Dementia Friendly Communities Champion Group, due to the DWP’s lack of intervention on overpayments of carer's allowance or pension credit. In particular, there was the worrying case of a 92-year-old with dementia, who was reportedly told to repay £7,000 by DWP.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Johnny said: “It’s time for the DWP to review its vulnerable customer policy and practices and to take learnings from what is happening in regulated sectors – particularly in financial services and utilities. There’s a great deal of focus, driven by government departments that sponsor regulators in these sectors to improve awareness and support of vulnerable customers – encouraging firms and organisations to use their data to better identify people in moments and times of vulnerability, and where there is a potential harm, intervene and intervene quickly.
“We really do need to look at not only bringing the DWP - in terms of vulnerable customer policy – into line with regulated sectors, but we need to up our scrutiny of the DWP to make sure that they acting better on behalf of taxpayers, but they are better serving the people in need – particularly where those people are vulnerable.”
Andrew Gething, managing director of MorganAsh, added: “There’s no question that the significant vulnerability remit that has been given to regulated sectors must also be shared and represented by the public sector. The DWP case in question certainly demonstrates failings in not just managing vulnerability, but in utilising good data to ensure the needs of vulnerable people are being met and that the outcomes they experience are not worse than the resilient/non-vulnerable.
“With Consumer Duty in full force, firms across financial services are understanding just how necessary good data is in meeting these requirements – particularly around vulnerability. This is especially true as the FCA continues its review of how firms approach and take care of vulnerable customers. There is clearly an opportunity for all levels of government to learn from industry and how they have responded to new regulation such as Consumer Duty.
“It’s fantastic to see Johnny on national television advocating for the rights of vulnerable people and calling for action to tackle systemic issues within the government and its own departments.”
