During Work and Pension questions in the House of Commons on Monday 7 February, Stephen asked the Secretary of State what steps she is taking to build trust with disabled people.
The Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, was forced to publish research the DWP had commissioned from the National Centre for Social and Economic Research (NatCen), which falls within the Government’s own protocol for publication. The report focuses on the disabled people’s experiences of the benefits system.
Speaking in Parliament, Stephen said “the DWP’s own Social Security Advisory Committee highlighted just over a year ago the serious problem: disabled people do not trust the department. Burying the NatCen report in breach of the cross-governmental protocol has made matters worse.”
You can watch Stephen’s full question, and the Minister’s response, below.