DWP again refuses to release data on disability benefits – using the same excuse
Iain Duncan Smith: He’ll have the smile wiped off his face today – although possibly for completely different reasons from any mentioned here.
Good for The Independent, which has followed up on Jayne Linney’s blog post about DLA/PIP, mentioned on This Blog yesterday.
In the extract that follows, take particular note of the civil servant’s comments.
On Tuesday DWP officials refused another request for basic information about disability benefits using the same “Section 22” exemption they had tried to use before.
The Department had been asked under the Freedom of Information Act to disclose how many Disability Living Allowance claimants had been made worse off after being moved onto the new Personal Independence Payment benefit.
The Department refused the request, made by a user of the WhatDoTheyKnow website, a tool which helps people scrutinise the Government’s record.
The civil servant who answered the reply ultimately said that thought there was a public interest in the data being released, they should be allowed to publish it “in a manner of form and at a time of their own choosing”.
There’s a lot of discussion about the difficult position of DWP workers at the moment, with many people defending those who try to do right by claimants in the face of harsh directives from Caxton House. This person clearly is not one of them.
Perhaps he or she needs to be reminded that all members of the civil service are servants of the public and as such – in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, when a UK citizen makes a request in a proper manner, the only acceptable response is to honour it.
If this information is exempt under s.22 of the Act, let’s see it on the DWP’s publication schedule. Not there? Then let’s have the facts.
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Keep at ’em Mike, you’re doing a great job.
section 22 ehhhh, there’s a catch there.
Or refused should have been there
the answer is simple all of them the budget forpips is 20% lower than that of dla add to that their scrapping of te independentliving fund plus the inflationary pressure on all things disabled which benefits have fallen short of and you quite simply have an ignored under-classin financial crisis as care costs continue to rise while benefits don’t
The civil servant who answered the reply ultimately said that though there was a public interest in the data being released, they should be allowed to publish it “in a manner of form and at a time of their own choosing”.
Cheeky b*****d, who the hell does he think pays his wages – it is working people’s taxes and he is answerable to them. Brother does he have ideas above his station, a servant he is, but not particularly civil.
a face i would never tire of punching
Never mind using the same old excuse again, release the figures, now! Good work again Mike, keep the pressure on, we all should, should set up another petition like before to force them to release them, now!