The following details have been provided by the PCS DWP Group:
Members will have seen that there has been considerable media coverage of the work of DWP in recent weeks. Much of this has been castigating the performance of DWP, accusing it of contributing to increased levels of poverty and leading to the greatly increased prevalence of food banks.
Sadly this level of criticism of DWP is to be expected given the unprecedented cuts in social security benefits that are being imposed on the poorest people in society by the current government. The situation is not helped by the false portrayal of claimants as scroungers and shirkers and the drive from senior managers to force our members into sanctioning more and more claimants for even the most minor transgressions.
This criticism has not just come from welfare campaign groups and opponents of the Government but also from senior church leaders, academics and others with no political axe to grind.
Most of this criticism has been aimed either at specific Government policies such as the Work Capability Assessment or has focused on institutional administrative problems that lead to delays in benefit payments, etc. However it is disturbing that some of this criticism has moved from attacking the policy and the system to attacking our members working for DWP, accusing them of showing an increased antipathy towards claimants.
PCS rejects this view. We value the work that our members do. We know that our members are working under great pressure, with ever-shrinking resources and a management target culture that always expects staff to ‘do more with less’. PCS believes our members do the best job they can in very difficult circumstances. Rather than face criticism, this work should be recognised and valued by management and they should start by ensuring a proper pay increase for DWP staff in 2014.
PCS would have hoped that senior officials and Ministers would have spoken out to defend their staff but they have remained silent. Or, when they do speak out in public, it is to deny that there is any problem at all, which only serves to inflame the situation.
PCS will continue to stand up for our members performing exceptionally challenging work in extremely difficult circumstances.
