About DWP

BACKGROUND

• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was created in June 2001 to serve a new purpose: to promote opportunity and independence for all. The Department currently employs approximately 123,450, has a budget of around £9 billion and pays pensions and benefits of around £100 billion per annum.
• The Department has important policy development responsibilities in the support of the Government's economic and social objectives.

• Promote work as the best form of welfare for people of working age, while protecting the position of those in greatest need.
• Ensure the best start for all children and end child poverty in twenty years.
• Combat poverty and promote security and independence in retirement for today’s and future pensioners.
• Improve the rights and opportunities for disabled people in a fair and inclusive society;
• Modernise welfare delivery to improve the accessibility, accuracy, and value for money of services to customers, including employers.

•  Jobcentre Plus - which helps people of working age find work and receive the benefits to which they are entitled, and helps employers to fill their vacancies.
• The Pension Service - which delivers frontline services to pensioners.
• The Child Support Agency - which administers child support.
• The Disability and Carers Service - which delivers extra-cost disability benefits to disabled people and benefits to carers.
• The Debt Management Service - which is a customer-facing shared service within the Finance Group, delivering debt management and recovery services on behalf of the other Businesses.
• The Appeals Service - which combines an independent tribunal body responsible for hearing appeals and administrative support for this function.