Criminal record checks backlog is costing jobs and ‘causing havoc’, says MP Meg Hillier

Meg Hillier raised the issue of DBS checks in parliament

Delays in dealing with Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are “causing havoc” and leading single parents, agency workers, taxi drivers and other Hackney residents to lose out on work, Meg Hillier has said.

DBS checks, formerly known as Criminal Records Bureau checks, are carried out by the police and are required for anyone wishing to work in certain jobs or voluntary work involving children or healthcare.

The Hackney South and Shoreditch MP raised the issue in the House of Commons, where she referred to “the seemingly intractable problem of making sure that the Metropolitan Police deals with DBS checks in good time”.

She has come across 20 cases in the past year, including of teachers and teaching assistants unable to get their checks done in time to start jobs, she said.

Responding, Sarah Newton MP, the parliamentary under-secretary of state, said she shared Hillier’s frustration. However, Newton insisted the DBS had increased resources made available to the Met.

The government recently released a statement acknowledging the delays in London, stating: “The Met are resolving a number of issues to meet the backlog of applications. Some applications going to the Met are taking much longer than their 60 day service level target.

“We know you will be concerned by this and understand the impact it can have on applicants and employers.

“We are working very closely with the Met to help improve performance, but the level of applications in progress means it will take them some time to resolve the issue.”

Costing between £26 and £44, the checks are supposed to take eight weeks.

However, the Home Office has now confirmed that the longest outstanding application has been in the system for 25 months.

Hillier said: “I am regularly contacted by constituents who are unable to accept paid work because of delays with the Met and the DBS.”

She added: “Changes needed to be made immediately to speed up this process.”