A former Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) employee has described her experience working within the UK's welfare system as her "absolute worst nightmare," alleging the system is designed to "catch you out." Jo, a 53-year-old from Sheffield who held roles with both Jobcentres and the DWP, shared her damning assessment with The Independent.
Inconsistent Support and Systemic Distrust
Jo revealed that the level of support a claimant receives is a postcode lottery, entirely dependent on the individual work coach they encounter. "You could go to one adviser with an issue, and they just say ‘I'm sorry there's nothing I can do’, you'll go to another one and they will find a way or do everything they can," she explained. This inconsistency, she argues, breeds suspicion and mistrust. "I found it was just set up to catch you out," Jo stated. "They won’t admit that, but that’s exactly what they’re doing."
Staff Shortages and Government Cuts
These revelations come alongside a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO), the government's spending watchdog. The report highlights a critical shortfall of more than 2,000 work coaches, forcing more than half of job centres in Great Britain to scale back their support for benefit claimants. A charity has warned that this shortage directly "undermines the Government’s promise to support disabled people into work." This crisis is further compounded by the Labour government confirming a series of welfare cuts in the same month.
Industrial Action and Service Closures
The turmoil within the DWP is also manifesting in industrial action. Workers at the Lincoln City Hall Service and Support Centre, which is scheduled to close in May, will stage a strike from 4 to 17 November. Fran Heathcote of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said members were "being cast aside with little remorse" despite decades of service. The DWP has stated that the closure is part of a move towards "fewer, larger, more economically viable sites" and confirmed that the Lincoln Jobcentre remains operational.
Lucy Bannister, head of policy at the charity Turn2us, reinforced the criticism, telling The Independent: "The government's language and the practice of the DWP is breaking down trust, making it impossible to adequately assess the support someone needs, or help overcome barriers to work." She concluded that without addressing this fundamental issue of stigma and mistrust, the government's plans to support people into work are "doomed to fail."
