The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been slammed in a report that criticised its treatment of claimants with complex needs. The report by the by the Public Accounts Committee scrutinises the DWP's shift towards using artificial intelligence, and highlights existing widespread anxiety among benefit claimants about AI's role in their assessment process. The inquiry raises serious concerns about the "negative impact" and potential unjust treatment by AI systems targeting benefit fraud. The committee demands concrete assurances from the Government on measures to safeguard these vulnerable groups.

The PAC has publicly expressed its shock at the service received by disability benefits claimants from the DWP. It said: "Disability benefits claimants receive an unacceptably poor level of service from the Department for Work and Pensions.". The committee also said: "The DWP does not understand well enough the experience of vulnerable customers and customers with additional or complex needs, and should gather the data it needs to gain this understanding." The report also shows that Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants face a frustrating 30-minute wait on average to connect with a phone operator, while Universal Credit claimants typically wait just two minutes, reports the Express.

Only about half of new Personal Independence Payment claimants are processed promptly, a contrast to the 96% of state pension applications handled on time, said the committee. A worrying 43% of those with complex disabilities reported unsatisfactory interactions with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the report found. The Chair of the Committee, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, described the findings as unsettling: "Our report's disheartening findings illustrate the stark disparity of experience between claimants for disability benefit and other users of the system. Our Committee is closely scrutinising the use of AI in Government. While this Committee would welcome the use of AI for the benefit of the public, the onus is also on the DWP to prove it is using these powerful tools in a safe and fair manner.".

He voiced concerns over the growing issue of underpayments alongside overpayments, saying: "We are also as concerned at the picture of growing underpayments as we are with overpayments, and have little sympathy for the DWP's argument that this rise is driven by a growing propensity for fraud in society. This amounts to saying that the DWP's job is too hard to do well – not a defence that this Committee is prepared to accept.".

In response to the report, a DWP spokesperson defended their position, stating: "We have reduced phoneline waiting times and are providing tailored help for customers with additional needs while also uprating benefits by 1.7% this April to ensure that customers get all the support they are entitled to. They added: "The report does not consider that we are already taking action on fraud and error through our new Fraud Error and Recovery Bill which will help us protect claimants by stopping errors earlier alongside saving an estimated £1.5 billion of taxpayer money over the next five years.".