Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
In addition, the customer information contained in the legacy system is difficult to obtain, taking...
Conclusion
In addition, the customer information contained in the legacy system is difficult to obtain, taking several weeks to scan, and demographic data—such as income distribution or ethnic background—are not available.15 The Department told us that, while it was not 7 Q 30 8 C&AG’s Report, para 2.3 9 Qq 39, 47, C&AG’s Report, paras 10, 2.3 10 Qq 49, 52 11 C&AG’s Report, para 11 12 Q 31 13 Qq 33, 39 14 Q 39 15 Q 123; C&AG’s Report, paras 1.11, 3.9 Underpayments of the State Pension 11 sure of the impact on other types of demographic groups, it hopes that ethnic minorities should not be disproportionately affected ‘because of the way the system works in practice’. The Department said that 90% of the underpayment cases it was seeing were women, because of the types of state pension claim that were affected.16 Following our evidence session, the Department wrote to us explaining that it had amended its complaints process and introduced a new case management tool which allows more detailed information to be recorded about complaints.17 Quality assurance arrangements
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
1.2 As outlined at the Committee hearing on 28 October 2021 (questions 39; 46; 64), the Department for Work and Pensions (the department) has made significant progress to transform customer experiences and replace legacy IT systems for state pension payment administration, through the new Get your State Pension (GySP) service. This is part of its ongoing transformation programme. 1.3 The department introduced GySP in 2018, and it is the department’s first service to fully automate the processing of a benefit, meaning online claims are awarded and paid to the customer without any manual intervention. As at January 2022, 60% of online new claims are processed and paid in this way, designing out clerical error. 1.4 The department will also automate the majority of customer changes of circumstances in future. This will further reduce potential for clerical error. 1.5 The department has enhanced the Customer Account Management (CAM) system used to maintain customer records. This now prompts agents to take specific actions before a case can be closed, preventing errors identified as part of the State Pensions Underpayments Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice (LEAP) exercise. 1.6 Complex work is now brigaded into specialist areas for control and accuracy purposes. Revised work instructions have been issued to staff, and line managers have delivered sessions to ensure understanding. 1.7 Enhanced checking of this work is undertaken, targeting elements of the new instructions to ensure compliance. Data matching rules have been developed as an additional layer of assurance. 1.8 Within the LEAP exercise, the department has implemented IT changes, including automating some of the data entry from different systems and printing of letters.