DWP Corruption & Scandals

Coroners have been writing to the Department for Work and Pensions about the deaths of benefit claimants for more than a decade. This section tracks what they warned, what the department promised in reply, and what actually changed.

4 articles in this section

DWP Corruption & Scandals

Coroners have warned the DWP about dying claimants nine times since 2013

Between 2013 and 2024 coroners issued the Department for Work and Pensions nine Prevention of Future Deaths reports following the deaths of benefit claimants. In that period the department has publicly accepted a coroner’s findings, apologised and changed its practice on a single occasion.

Welfare Desk19 Aug 20263 min

DWP Corruption & Scandals

The Carer’s Allowance overpayment scandal was caused by the DWP, its own review found

Carers who earned a pound over the weekly threshold lost an entire week of benefit. The DWP held the earnings data that would have flagged it and in many cases did nothing with it for years before demanding the money back. The independent review published in November 2025 found the fault lay with the department.

Welfare Desk18 Aug 20263 min

DWP Corruption & Scandals

The DWP’s own analysis found its fraud algorithm treats claimants differently by age and nationality

A fairness analysis carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions itself found statistically significant referral and outcome disparities by age, disability, marital status and nationality in the machine learning system used to select Universal Credit claims for fraud investigation.

Welfare Desk17 Aug 20262 min

DWP Corruption & Scandals

The government costed the April 2026 health element cut before it took effect: 50,000 more people in poverty

From April 2026 the Universal Credit health element for new claimants was cut from £423.27 to £217.26 a month. Government analysis published in March projected that around 50,000 people who become ill or disabled would be pushed into poverty by 2030 as a result.

Welfare Desk16 Aug 20262 min