Fake Benefit Sanctions Leaflet Leaves DWP Red-Faced

The Department for Work and Pensions has been forced to edit and re-issue a leaflet after being caught fabricating testimonials from fake benefit claimants praising the Government's welfare crackdown, in a move described by critics as "disgraceful".
Iain Duncan Smith's administration used stock images of people and made-up quotations attributed to supposed support recipients to promote welfare sanctions, but is now facing a public backlash over the affair.
One information leaflet published by the DWP, branded "Sarah's story", tells of a jobseeker being "really pleased" that a cut to her payments encouraged her to re-draft her CV.


Another, this time by claimant "Zac", praised the sanction system and applauded it for working well.
“I let my work coach know in advance that I couldn’t go to our meeting because I had a hospital appointment," he supposedly said.
“I had a good reason for not going to the meeting and proof of the appointment. My benefit payment hasn’t changed and we booked another meeting I could get to.”

A Freedom of Information request lodged by Welfare Weekly uncovered that, despite not being labelled as such, claimants comments, names and photos like Sarah's and Zac's were fake and “for illustrative purposes only”.
The DWP hastily tried to amend its advice flyers, replacing photos of people with blackened silhouette and adding a disclaimer saying, "the people in this fact sheet aren't real".

But the move came too late to stem public outrage.
One critic suggested that any journalist who had made up quotes would be sacked from their job.

ory Cellan-Jones @ruskin147
Re DWP made up quotes - I think any journalist from any UK paper/broadcaster who did this would be sacked

Another branded the "phoney vox-pop... dishonest and disgraceful".

Paul Strasburger @LordStras
Here's a phoney vox-pop from DWP's leaflet explaining why cutting your benefits makes you happy. Dishonest. Disgrace. pic.twitter.com/iE8PggiEpn

The outcry comes just weeks after new legislation pioneered by Chancellor George Osborne to limit child tax credits and lower the state's annual benefits bill was pushed through Parliament.
DWP officials did not reply to a request for comment by the time this story went live.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/18/uk-benefits-dwp-sanction-leaflet_n_8003828.html?utm_hp_ref=tw


Utterly disgraceful.  IDS should be sacked, instead he will be congratulated, that's how sick this Government is.

Hahahahahaha you couldn't make it up!!

Oh wait. They just did.

Pressure is growing on IDS to say what he knew about it (like he wouldn't have been behind it!)

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/iain-duncan-smith-under-pressure-6276811#ICID=sharebar_twitter

It's utterly disgraceful and he should resign.

Well, they can hardly use real claimants photos and personal details etc can they!!!???


Let's not forget that it is the leftie pc bullshit thinking that stops police forces publishing details of wanted criminals because it breaches their human rights!!!



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3193441/Ten-suspects-wanted-murders-rape-missing-decades-police-won-t-breach-privacy.html


Think of the uproar if the job centre started publishing unemployed peoples details!

Lefties would be crying out still either way...

It's not the names that are the disgusting things, it's the stories.

Public relations body investigating DWP fake welfare claimants leaflet

CIPR has written to members who work at DWP to find out if they had any part in producing document which featured two non-existent benefits claimants

The industry body for public relations has launched an investigation following the production of a government leaflet which featured invented quotes from two non-existent claimants talking up their experiences of the benefits system.
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) said it had written to all of its members who work at the Department for Work and Pensions to find out whether they had played any part in putting the leaflet together.
Sarah Pinch, the CIPR’s president, said: “Falsely creating the impression of independent, popular support is a naive and opaque technique which blatantly disregards the CIPR’s standards of ethical conduct. It is deeply disappointing if public relations professionals allowed it to be published.”
The official document was pulled on Tuesday after the DWP admitted it had made up supposed benefits claimants “Sarah” and “Zac”. A spokesman said the leaflet was produced in-house by its “communications team”.
Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, did not have any knowledge of its production, according to departmental sources.

In the leaflet, “Sarah” was quoted as saying she was happy she had been prompted to complete her CV after some of her benefits were withdrawn. “Zac” said he avoided having his benefits cut because he was able to prove he had a hospital appointment that clashed with a meeting scheduled with his “work coach”.
The first edition of the document included pictures of the two non-existent welfare claimants, which the DWP admitted were stock photos in a response to a [url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/283206/response/694063/attach/html/3/WDTK FOI 3174 Response final.pdf.html]freedom of information request[/url] from the news website Welfare Weekly.
A second edition had “Sarah” and “Zac” shown in silhouette, but retained their fictitious accounts. It was taken down from the department’s website on Tuesday evening amid a hail of criticism.
The CIPR, which represents and regulates public relations professionals, is responsible for enforcing its code of conduct and can convene tribunals that have the power to expel any members found to have committed the most serious breaches. It can also issue reprimands and suspensions of membership, as well as negotiating settlements where possible.
A spokesman said it would await responses from DWP staff before deciding what action to take. She added: “All CIPR Members are publicly accountable for the standard of their professional conduct, and the conduct of those under their management. This accountability is a valuable asset to the public, to members and to those who employ them.
“Honest regard for the public interest, delivering reliable and accurate information, and never misleading clients, employers or others are vital components of proper professional practice. Any CIPR member found to be breaking any of our ethical principles, will be held accountable for their actions.”
The use of the fake claimants was criticised by Labour’s leadership candidates. Andy Burnham said the DWP had been “caught red-handed”, while both Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall said Duncan Smith should apologise. Jeremy Corbyn said the saga showed “how out of touch the Tories are”.
The DWP did not respond to a request for comment.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/aug/19/public-relations-body-cipr-investigating-dwp-fake-welfare-claimants-leaflet?CMP=share_btn_tw

IDS didn't have any knowledge?  Yea right!

I don't see the problem here... the stories are supposed to be encouraging and I'll bet there are shit loads of exactly the same stories in real life examples... but as I said... the job centre can hardly publish real claimants details and pictures can they!!!???


The job centre have always posted leaflets and posters like this as far as I can remember...


This is just another non story as far as I can see!