DWP

The Public Accounts Committee has published its report into the contract management of medical services. The Department for Work and Pensions (the Department) relies on medical assessments to help its decision makers reach an appropriate decision on a claimant’s entitlement to a range of benefits.

This call for ideas seeks views on how DWP can support people in work and in receipt of Universal Credit to help them increase their earnings, develop their skills and qualifications, and achieve financial independence. It also seeks views on how DWP could trial ideas that would support employers to promote training, development and progression opportunities for low paid employees who are claiming Universal Credit or tax credits, and have the potential to work more.

Responses should be submitted by 25 March to uc [dot] newapproaches [at] dwp [dot] gsi [dot] gov [dot] uk

DWP has published the first data on the Work Programme. The data covers the 13 month period June 2011 to July 2012 and shows that 837,000 people entered the Work Programme. 31,000 people have been in work for over 3 or 6 months as a result, 30,000 of these being former JSA claimants and 1,000 previously being ESA claimants. This equates to 3.5% of individuals referred to the programme, substantially less than DWP's minimum performance level of 5.5%.

Amazingly, only 1130 people across all the ESA payment groups found work during the year.

The Public Accounts Committee has published its report Preventing fraud in contracted employment programmes. The report was conducted following allegations of potential fraud and poor service from employment programme clients and whistleblowers.

The report's conclusions are:
* The Department has not exercised sufficient oversight of its contractors to identify potential fraud and improper practice.
* The Department's recent investigation into A4e did not establish whether the company was a 'fit and proper' contractor.

A study by Manchester Business School's Institute for Innovation Research has concluded that the Work Programme appears to be inadequate as a framework for service innovation. It concludes that "a better strategic alignment between government’s welfare reform strategy and locality commissioning could stimulate innovative services for all claimants in spite of austerity".

This is a case study of the UK government’s Work Programme procurement process between 2011 and 2012 and is part of a larger Manchester Institute for Innovation Research Project on Public Procurement and Innovation.

Chris Grayling has issued a ministerial statement following an audit of the Department's commercial relationship with A4e.

DWP has made some changes to its Work Choice provider guidance. The changes cover supported business protected places and a variety of other issues.

The head of the mental health charity, Mind, has left the Harrington Scrutiny Panel which advises DWP on implementing changes to the Work Capability Assessment, describing them as "deeply flawed". Chief executive, Paul Farmer, says he quit because ministers refused to listen to his criticism of the current fitness-to-work test.