A jobcentre work coach says he was driven to suicide by a culture of ‘bullying’ at the Department for Work and Pensions. The work coach told The Big Issue that while working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) he became so exhausted and depressed that he “felt worthless”. Ta.
“I believe it’s cultural and I believe it comes from the top down,” he said. “The seniors take it to the next level, they take it to the next level, and then finally you get to the work coach. You can’t blame the plaintiffs. It’s not ethical.
“To be perfectly honest, I left the DWP with absolutely no illusions about how people die while on Universal Credit. And even in my resignation letter, I said: We have raised that several times.” The Public and Commercial Service Union (PCS), which represents civil servants, warned that the DWP was a “failed organization in crisis”.
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PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “The culture of bullying at DWP needs to stop. Managers must learn to take mental health concerns seriously and take steps to ensure appropriate support is provided to employees who need it. The staffing crisis engulfing the DWP is having the most severe impact on both benefit claimants and the members who work there.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “The health of our staff is our top priority and we are committed to ensuring that our employees have access to comprehensive support for their mental and physical wellbeing, including one-to-one support, workplace adjustments and advice. “There is,” he said. and counseling services. ”
But Ms Heathcote said: “We believe the DWP will need an additional 30,000 staff just to deal with the workload and existing backlog, let alone implement the new system the Government is pushing forward.” Stated. The pressure our members are under is intolerable and must stop.