The death of vulnerable Nottingham man Errol Graham found starved in 2018 has been described as "utterly heartbreaking" in a parliamentary debate on his case. Mr Graham, 57, weighed just four-and-a-half stone when he was found dead at his flat in Radford.
The Employment Support Allowance (ESA) Mr Graham was claiming had been stopped eight months before his death as he had not responded to DWP requests for information to review his entitlement. A report published last month by the Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board found failings by the DWP, Mr Graham's GP practice and his social landlord which meant there were "missed opportunities" to save him.
During a debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday (June 6), the Government was questioned on why it had not passed crucial information from Mr Graham's 2014 work capability assessment to the team which produced last month's report. Nottingham South's Labour MP Lilian Greenwood said: "In failing to share that 2014 assessment, the DWP did not assist the local authority in its really important duty."
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Tom Pursglove, minister for disabled people, health and work, responded by saying: "The board's published report includes a wording change stating that agencies were asked to 'provide additional information' and not 'briefly summarise' as in previous versions. That slight wording change could have led to the wrong impression that the DWP was asked to provide every single form and document relating to Mr Graham's benefit claim - even those outside the scope of the review."
Speaking about the case in general, Lilian Greenwood said: "Will the minister set out the steps that he is taking now to ensure that other claimants, both those currently supported by the DWP and those who might need support in the future, get the support that they need, and do not have their benefits cut off as a result of their poor mental health and inability to engage with the outside world and the agencies that should be there to support them?
"Errol's case is utterly heartbreaking. We cannot change what happened, but we must learn the lessons for others and prevent future deaths of that sort."
Mr Pursglove added: "It is impossible not to be incredibly moved and concerned by what happened to Errol Graham. Both ministers and officials in the department are absolutely determined that the learning that comes out of this case, which is reflected in the recommendation that has been made by the safeguarding adults board, must be acted upon. We must continue to consistently ensure that where issues that require improvement are highlighted, we take steps in reality, in terms of our processes, to make sure that that follows on.
"It is significant that there are now checks that ensure people's cases are not suspended or terminated when we have not heard back from them, and that we have senior customer service leaders who work on a cross-agency basis to ensure that people are properly supported. They were the right steps to take and they have been informed by cases like this."
At the time of his death, Mr Graham had no income for essentials such as food and utilities and was about to be made homeless. In a letter found by his family, which was never sent, Mr Graham wrote "I am a good person but overshadowed by depression" adding that just attending an appointment made him ill.
The recent review said Nottingham City Homes should look strengthen its systems when taking "high impact actions" such as cutting off gas supply without consent. Other recommendations included better links with tenants' contacts and families and a national protocol for cooperation between the DWP and safeguarding adult boards.
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