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<p>The Department interacts with millions of people, and among them are some of the
most vulnerable people in our society. There are many reasons why people pass away
whilst claiming a DWP benefit and it would not be appropriate for the Department to
investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of every individual. This is
a consideration and decision for a Coroner.</p><p> </p><p>As a department we want
to do all we can to ensure people get the support they need. We are striving towards
becoming a learning organisation, for example through the Serious Case Panel, which
considers themes and systemic issues that come out of serious cases and makes recommendations
for improvements.</p><p> </p><p>Where the Department is made aware of a death and
there is a suggestion or allegation that the Department’s actions or omissions may
have negatively contributed to the customer’s circumstances an Internal Process Review
will be conducted. Internal Process Reviews are not designed to identify or apportion
blame, but to look at whether processes were followed correctly and what learning
we can derive from this.</p>
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