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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

4 items
2 Recommendation 6th Report - DWP Customer Service and A… Rejected

Set out expected timelines for achieving 75% target for new PIP claims processing.

DWP processes only around half of new PIP claims on time against a target for 75% of claims to be processed within 75 working days. DWP’s performance in processing new claims on time varies significantly between benefits, with claimants of disability benefits receiving a worse service than recipients of UC …

Government response. The government rejects the recommendation, stating it must balance speed with accuracy and risk, especially with upcoming changes from the "Pathways to Work" Green Paper. It refers to the long-term Health Transformation Programme for modernisation.
HM Treasury
10 Conclusion 6th Report - DWP Customer Service and A… Rejected

DWP's declining timeliness in processing new benefit claims increases financial hardship

A failure to process claims and pay benefits in a timely way can mean claimants wait longer for money they are entitled to, increasing the risk of financial hardship and making it more difficult for them to manage their finances effectively.18 Overall, DWP processed 72% of new claims on time …

Government response. The government disagrees with the committee's implied recommendation for faster processing, stating it must balance speed with accuracy and safely processing complex cases. It notes ongoing improvements in PIP clearance times and long-term plans through the Health Transformation Programme.
HM Treasury
11 Conclusion 6th Report - DWP Customer Service and A… Rejected

DWP's processing timeliness varies significantly, with poor performance for PIP claims

DWP’s performance in processing new claims on time varies significantly between benefits, after taking account of its different timeliness standards for different benefits, which reflect the nature and complexity of each benefit. In 2023–24, DWP processed 84% of UC claims within the expected timeframe of five weeks and 96% of …

Government response. The government disagrees with the committee's implied recommendation for faster processing, stating it must balance speed against accuracy and complex case management. It highlights recent improvements in PIP clearance times and long-term modernization plans via the Health Transformation Programme to …
HM Treasury
14 Conclusion 6th Report - DWP Customer Service and A… Rejected

Significant improvement in PIP claim processing timeliness not expected until 2029

We pressed DWP on when we would see a marked improvement in the timeliness with which new PIP claims are processed.23 DWP pointed towards the Health Transformation Programme as its long-term solution to providing a modern and timely service for disabled customers. One of the big changes would be the …

Government response. The government explicitly disagrees with the committee's observation regarding PIP claim timeliness, stating it has improved clearance times but must balance speed with accuracy, while reiterating its ongoing commitment to the Health Transformation Programme for long-term improvements.
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…