We asked the Department how realistic its plan is for a universal jobs and careers service given the current shortage of work coaches. The Department said it envisages a ‘pyramid’ with, at the top, a larger number of people who can access support and self-serve digitally and with minimal contact with a work coach. It described a fully online ‘jobcentre in your pocket’ which should complete roll-out in 2028. The Department also explained that, at the other end, it is about providing tailored support or signposting people to specialist support in local areas. Work coaches could then spend their time more intensively on those customers for whom a more in-depth conversation is more appropriate.19 The Department told us that tests carried out so far on its new fully online PIP claim service launched in July 2023 have shown 12 C&AG’s Report, para 2.12 13 Q 31 14 Q 32 15 Q 39 16 Q 32 17 The Department for Work and Pensions, Get Britain Working white paper, CP 1191, November 2024, para 146, Q 66 18 Q 58 19 Qq 56-58 10 initial decisions reached, on average, 20 days faster. Further work is needed to establish how far these technological and process changes will reduce overall processing times and improve services.20