Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

DWP Customer Service and Accounts 2023-24

Status: Closed Opened: 31 Oct 2024 Closed: 3 Apr 2025 7 recommendations 31 conclusions 1 report

In 2022-23, payments were made by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) totalling £231 billion to over 20 million people. Demand for benefits is growing, with the number of claimants rising by over two million people since 2019. The DWP uses a range of measures to monitor performance, including customer satisfaction, and payment timeliness …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
6th Report - DWP Customer Service and Accounts 2023-24 HC 354 31 Jan 2025 38 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
35 Conclusion 6th Report - DWP Customer Service and A… Acknowledged

DWP dissatisfied with slow reduction in UC overpayments despite forecast improvements and efforts.

DWP pointed us to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s statement forecasting welfare trends alongside the 2024 Autumn Budget, which showed overpayments in UC returning to below pre–pandemic levels in the 63 Qq 55-56 64 Autumn Budget 2024, para 4.109 65 Q 58 66 Qq 58-60 16 period to 2030.67 Nevertheless, …

Government response. The DWP stated that overpayments in UC had not come down as quickly as it had wanted and it was not satisfied with the current position, noting headwinds in terms of a greater propensity for fraud.
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
5 Dec 2024 Amanda Reynolds · Department for Work & Pensions, Neil Couling CB CBE · DWP Services and Fraud, Sir Peter Schofield KCB · Department for Work and Pensions View ↗

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
4 Feb 2025 To cttee Letter from the Senior Responsible Owner at Universal Credit relating to an upd…
9 Jan 2025 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions rel…
19 Dec 2024 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions rel…
16 Dec 2024 From cttee Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relat…