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DWP follow-up: Autumn 2025

Status: Open Opened: 11 Sep 2025 8 recommendations 19 conclusions 1 report

The Public Accounts Committee will be following up recent scrutiny with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in autumn 2025, on various topics. The PAC’s July 2025 report on Jobcentres warned that government seemed complacent at the potential impact of a reduction in support for benefit claimants. Amid a shortfall of work coaches, and …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
60th Report - DWP follow-up: Autumn 2025 HC 1447 9 Jan 2026 27 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
2 Recommendation 60th Report - DWP follow-up: Autumn 2025 Accepted

Monitor the impact of shortening Universal Credit first work coach meetings, including claimant feedback.

The Department does not have assurance that shortening the first meeting a Universal Credit claimant has with a work coach to 30 minutes will not adversely affect the support it provides. We reported previously that 57% of jobcentres had used the Department’s ‘local flexibility framework’ which set out measures that …

Government response. The government agrees with the recommendation and will undertake a qualitative research project to gather claimant insights on their experiences at the initial claimant commitment meeting, including feedback on its length and content.
HM Treasury
4 Recommendation 60th Report - DWP follow-up: Autumn 2025 Accepted

Provide detailed data on PIP claim processing times, including breakdown by specific duration categories.

It is unacceptable how long some PIP claimants are having to wait for their claims to be processed, which can cause them to get into debt and push them into poverty. The Department does not have an adequate plan to improve this in the short term. The Department aims to …

Government response. The government agrees and will write to the Committee by the end of March 2026 to provide the requested detailed data breakdown on PIP claims processing times for 2024-25. It also notes current average processing times are 16 weeks and …
HM Treasury
5 Recommendation 60th Report - DWP follow-up: Autumn 2025 Accepted

Provide information on legacy IT risk reduction plans and multi-benefit pilot rollout timetable.

While we are encouraged that the Department has ambitious plans to address the risks associated with its legacy IT systems, implementing these plans over the next three years will be highly challenging. Reducing reliance on legacy IT systems is a key part of the Department’s service modernisation programme and will …

Government response. The government agrees and details its accelerated three-year plan to address 36 critical legacy IT systems, including full transformation, refactoring, and code fixes, aiming for improved customer service. It is developing the first iteration of a multi-benefit customer account, will …
HM Treasury
26 Conclusion 60th Report - DWP follow-up: Autumn 2025 Accepted

Department received specific funding to upgrade high-risk legacy IT systems over three years

We asked the Department if it had been given extra resources to deal with some of its legacy IT and what its plans were. The Department confirmed it did get specific funding in the Spending Review for both its increase in cyber security and its ‘legacy tech debt’ programme. It …

Government response. The government is already upgrading its high-risk legacy systems, aiming to reduce overall risk by 58% over the next three years and plans to tackle the largest systems first.
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
30 Oct 2025 Barbara Bennett · Department of Work and Pensions, Helen Wylie · Department of Work and Pensions, Sir Peter Schofield KCB · Department for Work and Pensions View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
20 Apr 2026 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions to …
24 Nov 2025 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Work and Pensions rela…