Will the Department for Work and Pensions ever be capable of delivering a pathway from poverty for ill and disabled people? That’s the dangerous question asked by Demos Associate Tom Pollard, after 18 months embedded in the department as a mental health specialist.
In this thought-provoking new paper, Pollard explains why he believes that the DWP is institutionally and culturally incapable of making the reforms needed to deliver better outcomes for society’s most vulnerable and sets out a radical new vision for the future of welfare provision.
This short paper opens up a vital debate and marks the start of Demos’ research on the future of the DWP. Building on Pollard’s insights and the outcomes of a roundtable we hosted with industry experts in December, Demos will be publishing a major research paper later this year exploring how we provide welfare provision fit for the 21st century.
In the meantime, you can read our write up of the roundtable here.