Corporate report
Department for Work and Pensions single departmental plan
Updated 17 February 2020
© Crown copyright 2020
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Our single departmental plan sets out our objectives and how we will achieve them.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Permanent Secretary
The Department for Work and Pensions is the government’s largest public service department with the biggest annual budget, touching every citizen in the country at some point in their lives.
We are delivering a modern, fair and affordable welfare system that makes a sustainable positive difference to citizens’ lives. We are supporting everyone who can or wants to work to do so by extending opportunity, strengthening personal responsibility and enabling fulfilment of personal potential.
Our objectives
We will:
- build a more prosperous society by supporting people to enter into, and progress in, work
- improve outcomes and ensure financial security for disabled people and people with health conditions, so they view the benefits system and the department as an ally
- ensure financial security for current and future pensioners and make Britain the best place in the world to retire
- support the most disadvantaged and enhance social mobility by designing and delivering inclusive policies for all; supporting families and providing effective housing support
- transform our services and work with the devolved administrations to deliver an effective welfare system for citizens when they need it while reducing costs, and achieving value for money for taxpayers
- ensure DWP’s policies, operations and arm’s-length bodies continue to operate effectively after exiting the EU
1. Build a more prosperous society by supporting people to enter into, and progress in, work
Lead ministers
Mims Davies MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment
Will Quince MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Welfare Delivery
Lead official
Jonathan Mills, Director General, Policy Group
1.1 Deliver an effective Labour Market Intervention Strategy that boosts employment among under-represented groups and disadvantaged groups and facilitates progression
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Implement an effective mainstream offer, delivered through work coach activities and a range of contracted employment provision (contributes to SDG 1 and 8) |
| Support the development of a fully inclusive labour market, with no one left behind, by continuing to develop policy thinking aimed at supporting women, BAME, older workers, younger workers and disadvantaged groups (contributes to SDG 5) |
| Continue to support young people (aged 18 to 24), including those hardest to reach, through targeted initiatives working across government and local partners, such as: Youth Obligation Support Programme (18 to 21 year old) and apprenticeships (contributes to SDG 1 and 8) |
| Develop evidence about what works to help Universal Credit customers increase their earnings, ensuring work always pays enough through progression, skills and self-employment. Undertake a suite of research and analysis, tests and trials to identify best practices |
1.2 Deliver an effective Local Labour Market Strategy that optimises positive local labour market outcomes
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Working closely with other government departments, local government, learning providers, employers and other stakeholders in local areas to support people to enter, remain or progress in work by supporting the development of Local Industrial Strategies and the implementation and evaluation of Labour Market-related Devolution Deals and the Employment Innovation Pilots entering their final year |
| Managing the 2014 to 2020 European Social Fund Programme which provides complementary preparatory, wrap-around and additional employment and skills support at a local level to disadvantaged groups facing additional barriers to accessing the labour market (contributes to SDG 5 and 8) |
1.3 Consolidate the secure delivery of Universal Credit following completion of roll out ensuring that it works for everyone
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Implement the additional measures announced by the Secretary of State in January 2019 and the Chancellor in the Autumn Budget 2018, including increasing work allowances to strengthen work incentives and provide a boost to the incomes of the lowest paid (contributes to SDG 1 and 8) |
| Conduct a pilot to learn how best to support legacy claimants in moving to Universal Credit. The pilot is due to begin in summer 2019, pending approval of the supporting regulations in Parliament. We will return to Parliament at the end of the pilot to seek approval to proceed with moving all legacy claimants across to Universal Credit |
Our performance
Overall UK employment rate
| Quarter | Overall UK employment rate (%) |
|---|---|
| Aug to Oct 2019 | 76.2 |
| Jul to Sep 2019 | 76 |
| Jun to Aug 2019 | 75.9 |
Source: ONS labour market statistics
Release schedule: monthly (quarterly comparisons recommended)
Young people (18 to 24) not in full-time education in employment
| Quarter | Young people (18 to 24) not in full-time education in employment (%) |
|---|---|
| Aug to Oct 2019 | 76.6 |
| Jul to Sep 2019 | 75.8 |
| Jun to Aug 2019 | 75.5 |
Source: ONS labour market statistics
Release schedule: (quarterly comparisons recommended)
Children living in workless households
| Quarter | Children living in workless households (%) |
|---|---|
| Jul to Sep 2019 | 9 |
| Apr to Jun 2019 | 9.3 |
| Jan to Mar 2019 | 9.5 |
Source: ONS working and workless households in the UK
Release schedule: quarterly
2. Improve outcomes and ensure financial security for disabled people and people with health conditions, so they view the benefits system and the department as an ally
Lead minister
Justin Tomlinson MP, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work
Lead official
Jonathan Mills, Director General, Policy Group
2.1 Deliver an effective strategy to support disabled people and people with health conditions to find and remain in work
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Work in partnership with NHS England, Public Health England, employers and local partners, to deliver the manifesto commitment to see 1 million more disabled people in employment over the next 10 years, as set out in the command paper, Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability, partnering with DHSC through the Work and Health Unit. We are reviewing the goal to ensure it remains ambitious (contributes to SDG 1 and 10) |
| Deliver transformational change through personalised, tailored employment support for disabled people and an improved assessment for financial support |
| Work to ensure that employers have the support and confidence to create healthy and inclusive workplaces, including through the Disability Confident campaign (contributes to SDG 10) |
| Implement recommendations from the Stevenson Farmer review of Mental Health and Employers (contributes to SDG 10) |
| Consult on measures to encourage and support employers to help reduce ill-health related job loss |
2.2 Protect disabled people and people with health conditions on low income
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue to process and pay Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit as income protection/replacement for those with health conditions that affect their ability to work (contributes to SDG 1 and 10) |
| Integrate the services that deliver Personal Independence Payment assessments and Work Capability Assessments from 2021, supported by a single digital system which focuses on the needs of those using it. Work with external stakeholders to inform future changes to the Work Capability Assessment |
2.3 Support disabled people and people with health conditions to live independently through mechanisms (Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance)
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue the payment of Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance as contribution towards additional costs resulting from health conditions and disabilities (contributes to SDG 1, 5 and 10) |
| Complete the roll out of Personal Independence Payment (Full Personal Independence Payment Roll-out) in a safe and consistent manner |
| Integrate the services that deliver Personal Independence Payment assessments and Work Capability Assessments from 2021, supported by a single digital system which focuses on the needs of those using it |
2.4 Encourage government, stakeholders, business and disabled people to work together to support disabled people’s full participation in economic and social life
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Lead efforts to improve the accessibility of government and society, working collaboratively with other government departments, business, stakeholders and disabled people (contributes to SDG 5, 8 and 10) |
| Report on the UK’s implementation of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (contributes to SDG 10) |
| Deliver policies, strategies and structures that are co-produced with disabled people. We will continue to facilitate a public conversation on the health and disability agenda. Including exploring how the welfare system can better meet the needs of claimants with disabilities and health conditions. It’s our ambition to go further: to listen harder and reform effectively (contributes to SDG 8) |
Our performance
Number of employed disabled people
| Quarter | Number of disabled people in employment (millions) |
|---|---|
| Jul to Sep 2019 | 4.2 |
| Apr to Jun 2019 | 4 |
| Jan to Mar 2019 | 3.9 |
Source: ONS labour market statistics
Release schedule: quarterly (annual comparisons recommended)
The percentage of disabled people with a low income
| Year | Individuals below headline low income indicators before housing costs, by family disability (%) |
|---|---|
| 2017 to 2018 | 21 |
| 2016 to 2017 | 19 |
| 2015 to 2016 | 20 |
Source: Households below average income (HBAI) statistics
Release schedule: annually
3. Ensure financial security for current and future pensioners and make Britain the best place in the world to retire
Lead minister
Guy Opperman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Pensions and Financial Inclusion
Lead official
Jonathan Mills, Director General, Policy Group
3.1 Deliver a State Pension system which aids retirement planning and protects low income pensioners
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue triple lock uprating of State Pensions for the duration of the Parliament (contributes to SDG 1) |
| Continue to encourage people to use the online Check my State Pension service to see a forecast of their State Pension, building on over 13 million forecasts having been viewed since the service was introduced in 2016 (contributes to SDG 1) |
| Continue the efficient administration of means tested Pension Credit and provide support through additional initiatives (contributes to SDG 1) |
3.2 Increase participation and confidence in workplace pension schemes
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Build on last year’s successful delivery of the manifesto commitment to complete the rollout of automatic enrolment into workplace pensions by supporting the increase in minimum contributions from April 2019 (contributes to SDG 1) |
| Take forward trialling activities to explore ways of increasing retirement saving among the self-employed, and to continue to work towards the ambition of implementing the core proposals of the December 2017 review of Automatic Enrolment by the mid-2020s (contributes to SDG 1) |
| Complete the implementation of the new authorisation regime for Master Trust pension schemes by the end of 2019 |
| Drive forward plans to strengthen the protection of Defined Benefit pensions, including the government’s manifesto commitment to strengthen the powers of The Pensions Regulator, protecting private pension schemes by introducing punitive fines and a new criminal offence for those who wilfully risk or neglect member benefits, and strengthening the framework for clearance of corporate transactions |
| Make it easier for people to access the free and impartial help they need in making effective financial decisions through the new Money and Pensions Service, which will also convene and oversee a delivery group to lead the industry ‘s development of pensions dashboards (contributes to SDG 1) |
3.3 Support the retention, retraining and recruitment of older people (50+) in the labour market through cross-government policy initiatives aimed at encouraging fuller working lives
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Work with other government departments to ensure that new policy development responds to the challenge of an ageing workforce including; flexible working, skills provision and support for carers who wish to remain in or return to the labour market (contributes to SDG 5, 8 and 10) |
| Continue to work with employers, primarily through the Business In The Community (BITC) Age at Work leadership team to ensure that business understands changes in and opportunities created through an ageing demographic (contributes to SDG 8 and 10) |
| Continue to support older claimants’ return to the labour market with support of the Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches who work with Older Claimant Champions to raise awareness of the barriers older claimants face (contributes to SDG 8 and 10) |
| Support the cross-government objective of reducing the proportion of people who fall out of the labour market due to caring responsibilities through the Carers Employment Digital Discovery Project. The recommendations from the project will be available in Summer 2019 (contributes to SDG 8 and 10) |
3.4 Consider the introduction of a mid-life MOT
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue to work with partners, and stakeholders and employers to build on the MOT offer, following on from the launch of an online mid-life MOT web page in February 2019 |
Our performance
Eligible employees in a pension scheme sponsored by their employer
| Year | Eligible employees participating in a workplace pension (million) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 18.7 |
| 2017 | 17.7 |
| 2016 | 16 |
Source: Workplace pension participation and saving trends statistics
Release schedule: annual
Total pensions savings of eligible savers
| Year | Total pensions savings of eligible savers (£billion) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 90.4 |
| 2017 | 83.4 |
| 2016 | 81.3 |
Source: Workplace pension participation and saving trends statistics
Release schedule: annual
The percentage of pensioners with a low income
| Year | Percentage of pensioners with a low income |
|---|---|
| 2017 to 2018 | 16 |
| 2016 to 2017 | 16 |
| 2015 to 2016 | 16 |
Source: Households below average income HBAI statistics
Release schedule: annual
4. Support the most disadvantaged and enhance social mobility by designing and delivering inclusive policies for all; supporting families and providing effective housing support
Lead ministers
Will Quince MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Welfare Delivery
Baroness Stedman-Scott, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Lords)
Lead officials
Jonathan Mills, Director General, Policy Group
4.1 Continue to provide a Child Maintenance system that supports separated parents to work together to set up family-based child maintenance arrangements and where this is not possible, provides access to an effective and efficient Child Maintenance Service to ensure separated parents contribute towards the upkeep of their children
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue to ensure separated parents have access to free and impartial information to help them make informed decisions about their child maintenance arrangements |
| Continue the effective operation of the Child Maintenance Service |
4.2 Continue effective implementation (in England) of the Programme to reduce parental conflict, especially in disadvantaged and workless families
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Integrate evidence-based interventions to reduce parental conflict into local services in England for families through the Reducing Parental Conflict programme |
| Work with local authorities to provide parents with evidence-based support services and thereby facilitating a decrease in the number of children in England living with damaging parental conflict |
4.3 Ensure that Housing Support is effectively delivered to all
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Support customers and claimants to continue to live in their own homes through continued provision of Support for Mortgage Interest payments |
| Support customers and claimants to live in rented accommodation through continued provision of the Local Housing Allowance (contributes to SDG 1) |
| Work with MHCLG, DHSC, MOJ, HO, DfE and DCMS to deliver the Rough Sleeping Strategy |
Our performance
Children in couple-parent families reporting relationship distress
| Year | People reporting relationship distress (%) |
|---|---|
| 2015 to 2016 | 11 |
| 2013 to 2014 | 12 |
| 2011 to 2012 | 13 |
Source: Parental conflict indicator 2011/12 to 2015/16
Release schedule: every 2 years
Percentage of separated families with a child maintenance arrangement
| Year | Percentage of separated families with a child maintenance arrangement (%) |
|---|---|
| 2016 to 2017 | 48 |
| 2015 to 2016 | 55 |
| 2014 to 2015 | 55 |
Source: Separated families population statistics
Release schedule: every 2 years
5. Transform our services and work with the devolved administrations to deliver an effective welfare system for citizens when they need it while reducing costs, and achieving value for money for taxpayers
Lead ministers
Baroness Stedman-Scott, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Lords)
Guy Opperman MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Financial Inclusion
Justin Tomlinson MP, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work
Lead official
Peter Schofield, Permanent Secretary
5.1 Provide outstanding and inclusive customer service to all citizens, including those with different or complex needs
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue to deliver a highly capable, engaged workforce and further extend opening hours from October 2019 to support demand and improve customer service |
| Maintain DWP’s digital services to ensure that they are available, responsive and secure |
5.2 Reduce fraud and error within DWP benefits
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue to develop our Risk and Intelligence Service (RIS) to transform the way we use data and understand risk, including debt and financial vulnerability |
| Understand and explore opportunities to improve or build new services and technological enablers which will support enhanced detection and prevention of fraud and error, and more effective and efficient Counter Fraud and Compliance Directorate (CFCD) operational delivery |
| Continue to invest in the new Counter Fraud and Error Management Service (CFEMS), a case management system which went live in May 2018 to selected users. This will be rolled out nationally during 2019 and 2020 |
| Invest in a new Digital Debt Service, which will improve efficiency within DWP and enable more claimants to self-serve. The project will be delivered between 2019 and 2022 |
5.3 Transform the Department using purposeful, integrated organisation design to focus on culture, modernising our technology offer and effectively managing our physical workspaces and estate
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Move to an organisation, from April 2019, where we no longer organise ourselves by Operations and Corporate Centre groups. Enabling colleagues in both delivery and corporate roles to work even more effectively together to achieve the right outcomes |
| Create a flexible, inclusive and continuously learning organisation, delivering the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time through our new People and Capability Group |
| Support DWP’s policy and operational priorities by designing and delivering digital products which meet user needs |
5.4 Work with Scottish Government to implement the Scotland Act 2016 and deliver a safe and secure transfer of powers
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Ensure customers experience a seamless service at the point when responsibility for their financial support moves to Scottish Government |
| Support Scottish Government as it builds its capability to implement the devolved powers |
Our performance
Net loss due to fraud and error as a percentage of overall benefit expenditure
| Year | Net loss due to fraud and error as % of overall benefit expenditure |
|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | 1.6 |
| 2017 to 2018 | 1.6 |
| 2016 to 2017 | 1.4 |
Source: Fraud and error in the benefit system
Release schedule: annual
Customer and claimant opinion of departmental services
| Year | Customer and claimant satisfaction departmental services (%) |
|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | 81 |
| 2017 to 2018 | 84 |
| 2016 to 2017 | 86 |
Source: DWP claimant service and experience survey
Release schedule: annual
New claims processed within planned timescales
| Year | New claims processed within planned timescales (%) |
|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | 78.1 |
| 2017 to 2018 | 81.7 |
| 2016 to 2017 | 86.8 |
Source: DWP annual report and accounts
Release schedule: annual
Proportion of Universal Credit new claims that were paid (full payment in time)
| Year | UC new claims paid in full in time (%) |
|---|---|
| Jul 2019 | 88.43 |
| Jun 2019 | 87.07 |
| May 2019 | 84.58 |
Source: Universal Credit: 29 April 2013 to 14 March 2019
6. Ensure DWP’s policies, operations and Arm’s-Length Bodies continue to operate effectively after exiting the EU
Lead minister
Justin Tomlinson MP, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work
Lead official
Jonathan Mills, Director General, Policy Group
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Work closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union and other government departments to ensure consistency of plans across government as part of the UK’s preparations to leave the EU |
| Ensure the Department’s legislative programme includes both primary and secondary legislation that ensures the UK’s statute book is in order after we leave the EU |
| Ensure chemical policy and regulatory frameworks are in place once the UK leaves the EU by working with the Health and Safety Executive and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
Our performance
People survey engagement score
| Year | Engagement score (%) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 59 |
| 2017 | 60 |
| 2016 | 61 |
Source: Civil Service People Survey
Release schedule: annually
Representation of female staff, ethnic minority staff and disabled staff
| Year | Female (%) | Ethnic minority | Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | 66.8 | 13.1 | 11.3 |
| 2017 to 2018 | 66.7 | 12.6 | 7.7 |
| 2016 to 2017 | 66.6 | 12.2 | 8.7 |
Source: Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Dashboard
Release schedule: quarterly
Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (against 2009/10)
| Year | Total emissions (%) |
|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | 59.7 |
| 2017 to 2018 | 50.7 |
| 2016 to 2017 | 44.0 |
Source: Greening Government Commitments Annual Reports
Release schedule: annually
Percentage (%) of spend that is allocated to small and medium-sized enterprises
| Year | Percentage of total spend (%) |
|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | 11.9 |
| 2017 to 2018 | 15.4 |
| 2016 to 2017 | 14.4 |
Source: Central government spend with SMEs data
Release schedule: annually
Our equality objectives
The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity (contributes to SDG 5):
- ensuring our customers have access to reasonable adjustments or additional support to enable them to access benefits, use our services and meet their individual responsibilities
- embedding Equality Analysis into all our service delivery and decision making processes
- ensuring that systems for benefits, back to work/in-work support and pensions work as well as possible for women and other groups, especially those who are low paid or have a low income
- through the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) work, including the Regional Stakeholder Network, we will encourage and support other government departments to engage effectively with disabled people and their organisations to develop inclusive policies
- strengthening implementation of the Family Test assessment in all our domestic policy areas, including Family Test outcomes in all policy advice submitted to our ministers and promoting cross-government implementation
As an employer we are also committed to the Civil Service ambition to become the UK’s most inclusive employer and we will continue to:
- increase the representation of currently under-represented groups to make DWP more diverse
- build an inclusive culture, where colleagues are able to be themselves at work and feel supported, empowered, valued, respected, fairly treated and able to achieve their full potential
We have set objectives to help us achieve our ambition. These are:
- embed the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy departmental actions
- improve the provision of workplace adjustments and increase mental health awareness and support
- increase the diversity of our workforce with a focus on making improvements to our recruitment and selection methods and talent offer
- close gaps around inclusive outcomes in promotion, talent, people performance and bullying, harassment and discrimination
- embed inclusive leadership at all levels in DWP
- use insight and intelligence evidence to drive diversity and inclusion activities and outcomes
- grow an inclusive environment through engaging our people
We will work to ensure that public appointments made by DWP contribute to realising the ambition that by 2022:
- 50% of all public appointees are female
- 14% of all public appointments made are from ethnic minorities
Public Value Framework
To support the delivery of our objectives we will be improving our performance against the Public Value Framework; specifically, pursuing goals through the implementation, planning and monitoring of our progress, developing system capacity through stakeholder engagement and carrying out work on our user and citizen engagement through user/client experience and participation.
Our finances
Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL): £5.97 billion
Resource DEL (including depreciation): £5.74 billion
Capital DEL: £0.23 billion
Annually Managed Expenditure (AME): £190.36 billion
Control totals included in this document are in line with those presented in the Main Supply Estimates 2019/20 and are currently subject to Parliamentary approval. Any changes arising from the Parliamentary approval process will be reflected in due course.
Source: Main Supply Estimates 2019/20
Our people
As at 31 December 2018, DWP had 73,200 full-time equivalent employees.
Source: ONS Public sector employment data
Release schedule: quarterly