DWP 'inadvertently' lets slip terrible Access to Work backlog figures

The Department for Work and Pensions has inadvertently shared some damning back to work figures. The Conservative Party MP and DWP minister Mims Davies has come under fire after laying bare just how poor the government's benefits department is performing when it comes to getting people back to work.

Vicky Foxcroft MP, speaking during the Access to Work debate in the Commons, asked minister Mims Davies about the backlog. She said: " On 1 January 2024, there were 24,874 people awaiting an Access to Work decision, on 1 February, 26,924, on 1 March, 29,871 and on 1 April, 32,445.

"Every month, the figure keeps increasing, so since the beginning of 2024 the Access to Work backlog has risen by more than 7,500. Does the Minister really think this is supporting more disabled people back into work?" Ms Davies replied: "If we are trading figures, at the close of business on 7 May 2024, there were 36,721 applications awaiting decision."

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The Canary reported the quotes this weekend, writing: "What basically happened was the shadow minister went “Access to Work is a bit s***” and the minister replied “Actually you’re wrong, it’s even s***ter than you thought”."

It comes as the DWP pushes to get people back into work. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride answered questions about the effect on Britain's economic growth resulting from a rise in inactivity. He said: "There are, of course, significant costs related to an increase in long-term sickness and illness rates in work.

"That is why we have our £2.5 billion Back to Work plan, to help 600,000 disabled people and people with health conditions start and stay in work. That approach, along with others, has seen economic inactivity reduce by 330,000 since its peak during the pandemic."

Mr Stride said: "On NHS waiting lists, there has been progress, in that the two-year waiting lists have almost been entirely dispensed with and those of 18 months have been very substantially reduced. Our Department recognises that work is part of the solution to improving people's health, which is why we are putting forward the WorkWell service, bringing together medical input and work coach input; fit note reform to help at an earlier stage of the journey; and the reforms to the work coach assessment.

"All those things are moving towards getting more people into work, which is good for their health. We have announced a doubling of Universal Support, a scheme with which he will be familiar; WorkWell, to which I just referred, bringing together medical support and work coaches; and reform of the fit note system so that we get involved earlier in the journey that many people experience when they fall out of the workforce into longer-term sickness and disability benefits.

"Overall, the evidence is clear: economic inactivity is down by 268,000 on the year, and by more than a third of a million since its peak during the pandemic – a 52 per cent reduction."