DWP’s 'unhealthy' AI obsession is trapping people in poverty, Amnesty report finds

Disabled people, low-income families and those with limited digital access are being “trapped in bureaucratic limbo” by the UK government’s “unhealthy obsession” with artificial intelligence (AI), a new report has warned.

Amnesty International’s report, Too Much Technology, Not Enough Empathy, accuses the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of rolling out flawed and experimental technology systems that are harming some of the country’s most vulnerable people.

The report found that digital-only systems for applying for benefits, including personal independence payment (PIP) and universal credit, are inaccessible for many, particularly those with disabilities, long-term health conditions or digital illiteracy.

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One claimant, interviewed as part of the report, told Amnesty: “Have some form of compassion, you know, make the forms and things easier. I mean, I’m quite illiterate. I mean, a lot of women are, men of my age, can’t use them… So they’re stuffed.

“They send me letters on my phone. I can’t open them. So, I ring up. I can’t open it. I haven’t got an iPad. I can’t afford an iPad.”

Support or surveillance?

Rather than easing access to much-needed support, Amnesty said that DWP’s growing use of automation and AI is contributing to distress and discrimination amongst claimants. The systems in question include automated eligibility checks, risk profiling algorithms that flag claimants for fraud investigations, and data-matching tools that verify personal details using other government databases.

In terms of automated data checks, such as checking income with HMRC or immigration status with the Home Office, Amnesty noted there is often “very little, if any, human oversight” making it difficult for claimants to challenge errors or understand how decisions are made.

Imogen Richmond-Bishop, Amnesty’s researcher on technology and economic, social and cultural rights, said the DWP’s approach has “reduced people to data points where the success of a claim often depends more on fitting into rigid digital categories than actual eligibility”.

She added that “technology in this instance has oversimplified people’s complex realities by creating narrow and opaque processing that demeans people’s needs, especially when they are unable to get the support from a human case worker that they need”.

Excluded by design

The report describes a system that is inaccessible by design, with digital-only platforms and long wait times on phone helplines, leaving many unable to get the support they are entitled to.

More than half (52%) of claimants surveyed reported difficulty accessing social security support, and welfare advisors said the system is increasingly hard to navigate, with 64% saying it was difficult or very difficult to get information about universal credit.

Amnesty also warns that many claimants face digital exclusion. A person’s ability to access online systems can change depending on their income, health, language skills, housing or education. For many, these barriers are overlapping and long-term.

Richmond-Bishop said this reality is being ignored in favour of a data-led approach.

“While people struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table due to inadequate social security, the DWP is still spending millions of pounds on costly, experimental systems designed to profile and surveil claimants.” the Amnesty researcher said.

Sensitive data

Amnesty also raises concerns about how much sensitive information claimants are forced to hand over. This includes data about their health, disability, housing, marital status and bank accounts. The human rights group describes this as “alarmingly invasive and deeply opaque”.

“This excessive data harvesting calls into question the proportionality, legality and fairness of how information is collected, processed and potentially exploited,” said Richmond-Bishop.

The report warns of “relentless dehumanisation” and a growing atmosphere of surveillance, rather than support. Many claimants are being asked to navigate complex systems without sufficient assistance, and even small mistakes, such as a missed update or unclear message, can lead to missed payments or sanctions.

What must change

Amnesty is calling for a full, independent review of the digital systems used by the DWP, and for any systems that violate human rights to be scrapped. It also wants the UK government to commit to ensuring all AI systems are transparent, explainable and never mandatory.

Crucially, the group is demanding that non-digital options for benefit applications and case management must be fully available, accessible and equal in quality, so that no one is left behind due to poverty, disability or digital illiteracy.

“The DWP’s mission to reduce costs has become an unhealthy obsession,” said Richmond-Bishop. “Urgent questions remain: is the tech rollout truly cost-effective, or simply cutting corners at the expense of vulnerable people?”

A DWP spokesperson said:

“We want to improve the experience for everyone who needs to access and use our services, and technology plays an important part in that. 

“To improve accessibility, we offer people a number of options, so for example, those applying for PIP and Universal Credit can do so over the phone rather than online, while there is a special service in place for those with hearing and speech difficulties.”

Background

•         To ensure PIP is accessible, applications can be made over the phone, by post and online at gov.uk. We also offer British Sign Language Video Relay Service, Relay UK for people with hearing and speech difficulties, and alternative formats including braille, large print or audio CD. For more information, please see Personal Independence Payment (PIP): How to claim – GOV.UK

•         To ensure UC is accessible, applications can be made online, or by phone through the Universal Credit helpline. We also offer British Sign Language Video Relay Service, Relay UK for people with hearing and speech difficulties. The Help to Claim service is provided by Citizens Advice and is confidential. For more information, please see Universal Credit: How to claim – GOV.UK

•         The Government has committed to upskilling Civil Servants delivering frontline services to make the best use of digital and AI technologies, to deliver greater efficiencies and, ultimately, save taxpayers money.

•         It is also in line with wider efforts towards a digital-first, people-centred public service: one that is inclusive, responsive and built for the future. 

•         We ensure the appropriate safeguards are in place to guarantee the lawful, proportionate, and ethical use of data and technology.

•         The AI Playbook for Government sets out clear guidance to help officials make use of the technology quickly, as well as on how to ensure that people have control over decisions at the right stages.

•         There’s a £45 billion opportunity if we get AI and technology right, which will help us deliver on our Plan for Change and drive up living standards across the country. To support trust along the way, we’ve published over 50 records showing how we’re using algorithms, with more added all the time.

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