LB Brent Cllr Michael Pavey's reaction to a resident's DWP interview

The following 'Twitter' [social media] 'tweet' was emailed by Wembley Matters blogger Martin Francis at 15:25 on Tuesday 12 July, and gratefully received this morning by the Kilburn Unemployed blog administrator:(1)

 Michael Pavey ‏@MikeyPavey 3h3 hours ago

Accompanied resident to @DWP benefits meeting. Appallingly intrusive questions without any explanation. Utterly dehumanising & intimidatory

Cllr Michael Pavey is a Labour councillor for Barhill Ward within the Brent North parliamentary constituency in LB Brent.(2) (3) 

His tweet reproduced above does not say:

1. what type of 'DWP benefits meeting' he accompanied a resident to, and/or
2. whether he announced to the interviewer his status as a Labour councillor

but Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group members know well that by default the questions delivered at DWP interviews are "appallingly intrusive and without any explanation," giving rise to a situation that is "utterly dehumanising & intimidatory." DWP interviews these days are designed to discourage claiming.

On the plus side it is really great that Cllr Michael Pavey "accompanied a resident to their DWP benefits meeting." Our motto is, "Never attend anywhere official alone," for we know that for various reasons, vulnerable people receive better outcomes when they attend with a witness. (About the worst thing a person can do is to be so ill that they cannot attend the interview at all!)

Fittingly, Cllr Pavey's 'title' within Brent Council is 'Lead Member for Stronger Communities'.(4) Maybe we should take Kwug meeting time to discuss how KUWG reacts to Cllr Pavey's declaration regarding the DWP interview he attended with a resident?

Link addresses

1. http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk
2. http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5701
3. https://www.brent.gov.uk/gis-maps/constituencies-map/
4. http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5701