Complaint
The programme included a discussion on welfare reform. A viewer complained that, by putting the discussion in the context of that day’s speech by Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the programme had given the misleading and prejudicial impression that Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was related to employment status, whereas it is entirely health-related. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½â€™s editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality.
Outcome
The discussion of welfare reform was framed in broad terms, and none of the participants mentioned PIP or any other named benefit. Instead, the discussion looked at the wider issues of who should receive benefits, how to get some of those people on benefits back into work, and whether welfare reform is necessary. While more detail about eligibility for PIP and other benefits mentioned in Ms Kendall’s speech might have been helpful to viewers, the ECU considered the choice of a broad focus for the discussion was a legitimate exercise in editorial discretion, and not a departure from the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½â€™s standards of accuracy and impartiality.
Not upheld