The Findings Of The Audit That Followed The Earlier Audit Of Atos Audits

In July the DWP announced that, following an audit by the DWP of the performance of Atos auditors, the DWP had asked to be audited in turn by external auditors. Atos had also called in auditors to audit their auditors.

Confused? You won't be, if the DWP answers my Freedom Of Information request.

I've asked the DWP for the terms of reference given to the external auditors, PWC, and for the date on which PWC's completed report was submitted to the DWP. I've also asked for a copy of the report, though I suspect the department will find that one rather awkward.

The purpose of the PWC audit has never been satisfactorily explained.

• Is it to reassure the ministers that all is well? If so, why have yet another review running alongside it, the one by Dr Paul Litchfield?
• Is it a fault-finding exercise? "Deputy heads must roll!"
• Or is it a prelude to something more serious?

The DWP has never declared at what point the PWC audit was commissioned. It implied that it was in July, but it could have been earlier. It is almost certainly related to the bogus rules of thumb and the implications of their use during assessor training. As auditors don't come cheap - to call them in is a tacit admission that something seems to have gone very wrong - we can expect the DWP to be thinking very carefully about what to do with their findings.

My FOI request lets them know that we are watching them.

The cryptic press release slipped out on the day of the royal birth
FOI request I
FOI request II


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