The senior DWP/AtW Officials who were questioned included:

• Sir Peter Schofield KCB: Permanent Secretary at Department of Work and Pensions
• Neil Couling CB CBE: Director General at DWP Services and Fraud
• Helga Swindenbank: Director of Accessibility and Disputes at Department of Work and Pensions
• Bill Thorpe: Director for Disability and Health Support at Department for Work and Pensions

Following the hearing, we have written an initial response with some key takeaways.

The committee acknowledged the vast number of submissions of evidence and thanked the wider Disability community for their contributions to the inquiry.

The hearing lasted for two hours, and we will provide a transcript and alternate formats in the coming days. Some of the language that was used was ableist and based within the medical model and not the social model.

The committee will publish its recommendations based on the hearing and the evidence that was given.

Our key takeaways were:

• There was an acknowledgment of the backlog and the impact on applicants.
• They claimed that the payment backlog had been cleared, as this was a priority. We would like to know if you have a different experience and are still awaiting repayment.
• There are discrepancies between policy and practice; it is evident that cuts to people’s awards at the renewal stage are due to DWP error in the first instance.
• There is a clear lack of understanding of the nuances of Disability and the experiences of those applying to Access to Work.
• There was an emphasis that employers need to be doing more to support their Disabled employees, as stated in the five principles of Access to Work.
• The committee did not elaborate on the experiences of self-employed or freelance workers and their extended delays.

There was a clear and strong acknowledgment that Access to Work is a beneficial and necessary resource.