Department for Work and Pensions
| Department for Work and Pensions | |
|---|---|
| Department overview | |
| Formed | 2001 |
| Preceding Department | Department for Education and Skills Department of Social Security |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | London |
| Minister responsible | Ian Duncan Smith MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions |
| Department executive | Leigh Lewis, Permanent Secretary |
| Child agencies | Jobcentre Plus The Pension, Disability and Carers Service |
| Website | |
| www.dwp.gov.uk | |
| United Kingdom |
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, a Cabinet position.
Contents |
[edit] Role
The Department sees its role as to:
- contribute towards fair, safe and fulfilling lives, free from poverty for children, people in work and retirement, disabled people and carers;
- reduce welfare dependency and increase economic competitiveness by helping people to work wherever they can and helping employers to secure the skills and employees they need; and
- provide greater choice and personalisation and higher quality of service for customers where it is in their interests and those of the taxpayers. [1]
[edit] Ministerial team
- Secretary of State for Work and Pensions - Iain Duncan Smith MP (Conservative)
- Minister of State for Employment - Chris Grayling MP (Conservative)
- Minister of State for Pensions - Steve Webb MP (Liberal Democrat)
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Welfare Reform - Baron Freud
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People - Maria Miller MP
The Permanent Secretary is Sir Leigh Lewis KCB. In November 2005, he replaced Sir Richard Mottram, who moved to the Cabinet Office. Mottram had moved in 2002 from the same post at the Department for Transport to succeed Rachel Lomax, who had followed the opposite route and who then moved to the Bank of England as deputy governor in 2003.
[edit] Services
The Department for Work and Pensions has two operational organisations:
- Jobcentre Plus administers Jobseeker's Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance, Bereavement Benefits, Maternity Allowance, Industrial Injuries Benefits and the Social Fund.
- The Pension, Disability and Carers Service containing two sub-organisations, The Pension Service and Disability and Carers Service. The former pays the Basic State Pension and Pension Credit and provides information on related issues; the latter provides financial support to disabled people and their carers[4].
The department has responsibility for the Health and Safety Executive, Employment Medical Advisory Service and the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority.
[edit] Location and staffing
DWP has corporate buildings in London, Leeds, Blackpool, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sheffield. The two agencies, Jobcentre Plus and the Pension, Disability and Carers Service, operate through a network of around 1000 Jobcentres, Contact Centres and Benefit Processing centres across the UK.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ [1] DWP Vision, aims and values
- ^ DWP Ministers
- ^ http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/topstorynews/2010/05/her-majestys-government-49840
- ^ http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dcs-business-plan0910.pdf Pension, Disability and Carers Service Business Plan 2009-10
[edit] External links
- Department for Work and Pensions website
- Directgov disabled people - Part of Department for Work and Pensions
