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Remember these? Time and time again, the Daily Mail has published stories about disability benefit claimants who supposedly did not deserve their benefits because they were either fit for work, or because it was too easy to claim benefits.
Time and time again, the Work and Pensions Committee and/or the UK Statistics Authority which has investigated complaints about the media treatment of disability benefit claimants, have found DWP guilty of giving ‘direct quotations from Ministers [which] can give undue credence to inaccurate or misleading reports’ and they recommended that DWP ‘ensure that significant statistical releases are accompanied by a press release setting out the context and providing background explanatory notes’.
To which DWP responded that it ‘takes great care’ when publishing statistics to ensure that the information is used in an appropriate manner but it also stated that ‘The Committee and Government need to be mindful of the widespread public unease about the number of people claiming incapacity benefits and it is therefore unsurprising that this is reflected in the media. […] However, it is important to stress that it is not the Department’s role to dictate what can appear in stories in the media’. [Underlined by the author]
Not only have DWP or Iain Duncan Smith been found guilty of providing to some media selective information which were not supported by statistics or were not evidence based, but also that ‘the statistics do not comply fully with the principles of the Code of Practice… and that they were shared with the media in advance of their publication’.
Added to this, Iain Duncan Smith had ‘the belief’ that the benefit cap is driving benefit claimants into work, although no causal link has ever been established. The latest DWP press release on the benefit cap titled People are moving into work as a result of the benefit cap and the supporting document show that there is an increase in the percentage of capped claimants moving into work compared with the percentage of uncapped claimants, although the number is very small, but do not take into consideration the fact that potential capped claimants were also receiving additional support from Job Centres. Which means it is impossible to disaggregate the impact from the benefit cap from the impact of this additional support or to know whether the benefit cap has any impact at all.
In August 2014, the Daily Mail published the following article:
This gave rise to a very interesting Freedom of Information request (for which S.Banks deserves credit) which DWP took over 2 months to respond to:
After getting the clarification he was looking for on whether there was a DWP press release about the Worst excuses used by benefit fraudsters, he asked the question:
Dear DWP CAXTON HOUSE Communications,
Thank you. In regards to your last point; to answer my query specifically can you please confirm that the dwp initiated contact with the Mail in this particular instance?
To which DWP responded:
Dear S Banks
The answer to your query below is yes, DWP initiated contact with the Mail in this particular instance.
Kind regards
Communications FOI Focal Point
Remembering what was quoted above: ‘However, it is important to stress that it is not the Department’s role to dictate what can appear in stories in the media’, it seems that DWP knows that it can rely on the Daily Mail to publish stories which are derogatory to disability benefit claimants, paving the way for more cuts. The Daily Mail did not publish the latest statistics showing that 90% of reassessed Incapacity Benefit claimants were entitled to their benefits or any article to re-establish some kind of balance in its treatment of disability benefit claimants.
But ultimately, the responsibility lies with DWP, the largest employer in the Civil Service, which has forgotten its duty of impartiality and have been using selected media and especially the Daily Mail to demonise disabled people, to turn the general public against them and make cuts to disability benefits more acceptable, also leading to an increase in hate crimes against them. DWP employees should hang their heads in shame.
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This has been going on for years, long before IDS in fact. Every time there’s any footage of a benefits claimant on TV, it has to have been okayed by DWP – they alone have the power to select and distribute these media to whichever outlets they prefer in order to get their message across. If you check back, I think you’ll find that that the mission creep started when John Hutton was SoS and accelerated under James Purnell. IDS has merely exploited this trend to his own evil ends.
The whole point of DLA is to help disabled people to carry on *IN* work if they have a job! And the rest of us who are unfortunate enough not to be able to. It’s supposed to help cover any expenses with travel, adaptions, care etc! It’s *not* a ‘work benefit’ and not supposed to be means tested! I have an inoperable brain tumour which cost me a 32 year career in nursing and need this to help me to live my life as best as I can, especially as I have falls, seizures and what have you. I reapplied for DLA *16* months ago and apparently the
application ended up in the wrong place as they thought it was a new application for PIP. Apparently it has been archived, whatever that means because no one there can be a*sed to make a decision! If IDS is *that* desperate I should work, then he can give me a well paid job and accept there are going to be plenty of sick days when I cannot function at all! Idiots!
What The United Kingdom Need’s is a British Constitution which Gives Constitutional Protection to Welfare Benefits Access to Welfare Benefits and Bans Degrading and Cruel ” Assessments ” and Sanctions as Well
Better British Welfare State than Destitution and Suffering
I use the wonderful web app ‘Kitten Block’ which prevents you from accidentally logging on Daily Mail links.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/kitten-block/
(It’s also available on chrome).
It’s great – I’ve just installed it – fabulous – no more daily fail for me!
I hope if Jeremy Corbyn is elected he can see this hell on earth for what it is…and this stinking cess pit that Smith is running.
People instead of being Sheople Need to Boycott this ” Newspaper ” and have Common Sense and
Human Decency Instead
Care For the Poor and Oppressed Not Buy Rubbish ” Newspapers “
typical of the dwp, poor john pring over @disabiltynews service has had a awful time off them we all knew the dwp was bad..but under this government and the last they have become the spear to throw at the disabled and poor..
DWP employees shouldn’t hang their heads in shame – they should be sacked for blatant discrimination and serve time for fraud and inciting to hatred. IDS has consistently waged a CIVIL WAR against the poor and ill, using nothing short of war-crime tactics. i know he will have legal advice behind him and some judges in his pocket. but other corrupt regimes around the world have been toppled. why wait around for Crobyn to try and ‘reform’ the red half of the conservative party? criminals should do time.
Disgraceful.
In any other situation this would be a scandle but because of this governments corrupt actions and the fact they have people in the party with fingers in many many pies this goes Unpunished and Unreported. If a claimant lies they (depandant on the level of their crimes) are stripped of any benefits, taken to court, fined, imprisoned. One rule for them, one rule for us.
In the report I wonder who, out of that 10% who haven’t been awarded benefit appealed successfully. Maybe that figure is above 90%?
I hope that people like Jeremy Corbyn get to see this. We need people in our corner.