Benefits leaflets 'too complex'

The benefits system is too complex, the Lib Dems argue

People could be missing out on benefits because leaflets explaining their rights are too difficult to understand, MPs have warned.

A "high level of literacy" was needed to understand Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publicity, the Commons public accounts committee found.

A "torrent" of documents made it more difficult to get information, it added.

But the committee praised the DWP for cutting its number of leaflets from 245 in 2005 to 178 last year.

The eventual goal is to reduce them to 145.

'Lack of clarity'

The committee found publications were unnecessarily complex, with 14 different terms used to describe a payment.

Just 81 leaflets had gained the Plain English Campaign's Crystal Mark for clarity.

Vulnerable citizens are misled about their entitlements, administrative errors are multiplied and, in some cases, vast sums of money squandered Edward Leigh

About 40% of those collected for the committee from DWP offices were out of date and many lacked "clear layouts".

Giving incomplete, inaccurate or out-of-date information led to more customer errors, which costs the department about £800m a year.

'Ludicrous complexity'

The committee's chairman, Conservative MP Edward Leigh, said: "The DWP's key leaflets can be understood only by those with a reading age above the national average.

"Most demanded a reading age equivalent to five years of secondary schooling.

"I welcome the fact that the department is now testing all its new leaflets for intelligibility using actual customers, but it should work through its existing leaflets to make sure that they also are intelligible to the people they are designed to reach."

He added: "Vulnerable citizens are misled about their entitlements, administrative errors are multiplied and, in some cases, vast sums of money squandered."

A DWP spokesman said the report had acknowledged improvements the department had already made, such as reducing its leaflets and submitting them all for the Crystal Mark.

He added: "We have a duty to communicate with all our customers to make sure they are aware of their benefit entitlements, which is why we have undertaken a fundamental review of all our leaflets with the aim of producing a new, streamlined set."

Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman David Laws said: "The sheer volume of information the government pumps out is hardly surprising considering the ludicrous complexity of our benefits system."