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Our Own Initiative report into how the Department for Communities (the Department) administer Personal Independence Payment placed a requirement on the Department to provide us with an Action Plan, outlining how it intends to address and implement our 33 recommendations.

Our latest Quarterly Bulletin gives an update on our work to simplify and standardise complaints handling in the public sector, as well as links to some of our most recent investigation reports.

We received a total of 927 complaints during 2020-21.  The Ombudsman’s Report provides further details of these complaints, and includes summaries of some of our casework from the year.

This paper sets out the Ombudsman’s views on the Department of Health’s policy proposals to enact a statutory Duty of Candour in Northern Ireland.

Our recent investigation made 33 recommendations to improve how the Department for Communities (the Department) administer Personal Independence Payment. 

Since 1969 my Office has been dealing with complaints about public services.  Over that time we have dealt with around 40,000 complaints and we have worked with public bodies to support them to handle complaints well.

We launched a public consultation on our proposals for new complaints handling standards for public bodies in Northern Ireland on 10 June 2021.  The consultation period was due to run for a 12 week period and end on 2 September 2021.

The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, Margaret Kelly, today recommended significant changes in how further evidence is used in assessing and awarding entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a benefit for some of the most vulnerable in society.

Please note we are unable to answer telephone calls today because of a staff training event.  Please contact us via our online complaints form or email us at nipso@nipso.org.uk.  We will return to our normal telephone service tomorrow.

The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, Margaret Kelly, has today called for a culture change in the way public bodies in Northern Ireland deal with complaints from members of the public.