UK Inquiry Tracker

DWP Customer Service and Accounts 2023-24

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 31 Oct 2024 Closed: 3 Apr 2025 Parliament page

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 … Read more 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 and accuracy. The DWP said in 2024 that it could not commit to substantially reducing fraud and error levels, based on its current plans. In its report on the DWP’s 2023-24 Annual Report and Accounts, the DWP told the National Audit Office (NAO) that UC fraud and error levels were no longer expected to return to pre-pandemic levels. It said that this was due to an increasing propensity for fraud in society, with a 5% increase in fraudulent behaviour each year assumed in its forecasting. The report saw £9.7bn in estimated benefit overpayments due to fraud and error – the highest ever level in cash terms. The Comptroller and Auditor General has qualified his audit opinion of the 2023-24 accounts because of the material level of fraud and error in benefit expenditure. The NAO’s 2024 report on DWP’s customer service noted that the DWP’s resources, ability to process claims and provide good customer service are under pressure in the wake of the pandemic, subsequent cost-of-living pressures and an increase in demand for benefits. The Committee has long scrutinised the delivery of Universal Credit (UC), raising the alarm in April 2024 that vulnerable people risked losing their benefits as legacy claimants transitioned over to UC. It has also recently scrutinised customer service at HM Revenue & Customs, which it found in 2024 was at an all-time low. Based on the two NAO reports, the Committee will take evidence from senior DWP officials, with likely focuses including: - Fraud and error levels; - DWP’s monitoring of customer service; - Quality of service. Please note the Committee is unable to consider or assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to contact your constituency MP . If you have evidence on these issues please submit it here by 23:59 on Friday 22 November 2024. Show less

7 Recommendations

31 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

4 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 8 events

6 May
2025

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Sixth report from Session 2024-25

4 Feb
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Senior Responsible Owner at Universal Credit relating to an update on the oral evidence session held on 05 December 2024 ab…

31 Jan
2025

Report published

6th Report - DWP Customer Service and Accounts 2023-24

9 Jan
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to DWP Customer Service oral evidence session held on …

19 Dec
2024

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to Pension Credit processing, 18 December 2024

16 Dec
2024

Correspondence

Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to Pension Credits processing delays following Committee…

5 Dec
2024

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

5 Dec
2024

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Committee event

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

5 Dec 2024

View on parliament.uk

Amanda Reynolds · Department for Work & Pensions Neil Couling CB CBE · DWP Services and Fraud Sir Peter Schofield KCB · Department for Work and Pensions

Reports 1 report · click to expand

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 results

2 Recommendation Rejected

6th Report - DWP Customer Service …

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 … Read more

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

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10 Conclusion Rejected

6th Report - DWP Customer Service …

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 … Read more

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

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11 Conclusion Rejected

6th Report - DWP Customer Service …

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 … Read more

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 simplify and automate customer journeys.

HM Treasury

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14 Conclusion Rejected

6th Report - DWP Customer Service …

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 … Read more

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

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Government Response AI assessment · 37 of 7 classified

Accepted 30

Acknowledged 1

Not Addressed 2

Rejected 4

Total 7 recs + 31 conclusions

Correspondence 4 letters

4 Feb 2025 To committee Letter from the Senior Responsible Owner at Universal Credit relating to an update on the oral evidence session held on 05 December 2024 about judicial review/TP/AR3 and AB&F v SSWP, 28 January 2025

Parliament page

9 Jan 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to DWP Customer Service oral evidence session held on 05 December 2024, 23 December 2024

Parliament page

19 Dec 2024 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to Pension Credit processing, 18 December 2024

Parliament page

16 Dec 2024 From committee Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to Pension Credits processing delays following Committee’s inquiry, 10 December 2024

Parliament page