UK Inquiry Tracker

Jobcentres

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 26 Mar 2025 Closed: 22 Sep 2025 Parliament page

The Government plans to reform the system of employment support, including by merging Jobcentre Plus with the National Careers Service. There are over 600 Jobcentres across Great Britain, forming a network which is the Department for Work and Pension’s main mechanism for supporting Universal Credit (UC) claimants into work and … Read more The Government plans to reform the system of employment support, including by merging Jobcentre Plus with the National Careers Service. There are over 600 Jobcentres across Great Britain, forming a network which is the Department for Work and Pension’s main mechanism for supporting Universal Credit (UC) claimants into work and increase their income. In October 2024, there were 7.2m people claiming UC. Of these people, 2.5m were earning less than the threshold whereby their UC claim would be subject to conditions, which could include a specified number of hours of looking for work, or regular meetings with a work coach. In a 2021 report , the PAC found that the quality of claimants’ experience and whether they received the right support would depend on the DWP’s ability to integrate an additional 13,500 new work coaches into its organisation and manage their performance effectively. The Work and Pensions Committee launched its own inquiry into Jobcentre reform in 2025 , examining the Jobcentre’s role and customers’ experience of it, as well as how they can work better with external organisations and careers advisers to get people into work. The National Audit Office’s 2025 report on supporting people to work through Jobcentres aimed to establish a baseline for the current system. Based on the NAO report, the PAC will hear from senior DWP officials on subjects including: Supply and demand of support, including for work coaches; Performance of Jobcentres against DWP’s current objectives; and Variations in outcome for different demographic groups or parts of the country. If you have evidence on these issues please submit it here by 23:59 on Thursday 1 May 2025. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues . Show less

5 Recommendations

26 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

8 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 11 events

20 Apr
2026

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee relating to Jobce…

15 Sep
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the 36th Report of Session 2024-25, Jobcentres, 09 …

10 Jul
2025

Correspondence

Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to Jobcentre work coaches, 10 July 2025

2 Jul
2025

Report published

36th Report - Jobcentres

2 Jul
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the oral evidence session held on 15 May 2025 on Jo…

9 Jun
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the follow up on the oral evidence session on 15 Ma…

9 Jun
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Director General, Labour Market and Poverty at the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the oral evidence session o…

9 Jun
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the follow up on the oral evidence session on 15 Ma…

19 May
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the Fraud and Error Estimates and the Unfulfilled E…

15 May
2025

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

15 May
2025

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

Committee event

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

15 May 2025

View on parliament.uk

Barbara Bennett · Department of Work and Pensions Katherine Green · Department for Work and Pensions Sir Peter Schofield KCB · Department for Work and Pensions

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
36th Report - Jobcentres	HC 823	2 Jul 2025	31	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 results

1 Conclusion Not Addressed

36th Report - Jobcentres

Committee took evidence from DWP on jobcentres following C&AG report.

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Work and Pensions (the Department) on jobcentres.1

Government Response

The committee item is a factual statement about taking evidence from the DWP. The government responds by stating it takes its responsibilities seriously regarding work coaches and details letters sent to the committee, claiming the 'recommendation' is implemented, despite the item not being an actual recommendation.

HM Treasury

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7 Conclusion Not Addressed

36th Report - Jobcentres

DWP consistently had fewer work coaches than estimated need across jobcentres.

For the first six months of 2024–25, the Department assessed it would need on average 18,900 work coaches but had funding for between 17,600 and 18,000.9 The Department told us it forecasts demand on a six-monthly cycle but plans resource … Read more

Government Response

Despite an initial statement of agreement, the government's response discusses a Water Reform Bill and the establishment of a single water regulator, which is entirely unrelated to the committee's conclusion about work coach numbers and funding.

HM Treasury

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Government Response AI assessment · 14 of 5 classified

Accepted 5

Accepted in Part 2

Acknowledged 5

Not Addressed 2

Total 5 recs + 26 conclusions

Correspondence 8 letters

20 Apr 2026 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee relating to Jobcentres, 30 March

Parliament page

15 Sep 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the 36th Report of Session 2024-25, Jobcentres, 09 September 2025

Parliament page

10 Jul 2025 From committee Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to Jobcentre work coaches, 10 July 2025

Parliament page

2 Jul 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the oral evidence session held on 15 May 2025 on Jobcentres, 30 June 2025

Parliament page

9 Jun 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the follow up on the oral evidence session on 15 May on Jobcentres: Jobcentres performance, 29 May 2025

Parliament page

9 Jun 2025 To committee Letter from the Director General, Labour Market and Poverty at the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the oral evidence session on 15 May on Jobcentres, 29 May 2025

Parliament page

9 Jun 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the follow up on the oral evidence session on 15 May on Jobcentres: Personal Independence Payments (PIP) claims, 29 May 2025

Parliament page

19 May 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the Fraud and Error Estimates and the Unfulfilled Eligibility in the Benefit System release, 15 May 2025

Parliament page