Department for Work and Pensions
Contents
Background
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, it administers the State Pension and various working age, disability and ill health benefits to over 22 million claimants and customers.
DWP is a ministerial department, supported by 13 agencies and public bodies. [1]
Structure
The Department has four operational organisations:
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus helps people move from benefits into work and helps employers fill vacancies. It also deals with benefits for people who are unemployed or unable to work because of a health condition or disability. [1]
The Pension Service
The Pension Service provides pensions, benefits and retirement information for current and future pensioners in the UK and abroad. [1]
Child Support Agency and Child Maintenance Service
Child maintenance is financial support that helps towards a child’s everyday living costs when the parents have separated. For people who can’t make their own, family-based arrangements, the Child Support Agency and Child Maintenance Service calculate how much maintenance the paying parent should pay to the receiving parent and then collect the maintenance payments, if necessary. [1]
Child Maintenance Options
The Child Maintenance Options service provides impartial information and support to help both parents make informed choices about child maintenance. It can also help them to set up their own, family-based arrangements. [1]
People
Ministers
- Iain Duncan Smith- Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
- Esther McVey – Minister of State for Employment
- Steve Webb – Minister of State for Pensions
- Mark Harper – Minister of State for Disabled people
- Lord Freud – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Welfare Reform
