Department for Work and Pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for the Government's welfare reform agenda.

Its aim is to promote opportunity and independence for all.

DWP delivers support and advice through a modern network of local offices throughout England, Scotland and Wales, as well as providing phone and internet-based services. Its services are aimed at people of working age, pensioners, families and children, disabled people and employers.

It is the lead department for disability rights and benefits for the disabled and their carers.

The Department's customers access the support and help they need through its businesses:

Jobcentre Plus provides a range of services to link jobseekers to employers and help with claiming benefits for those who need them. Employers benefit from a fully-integrated recruitment service which helps them to fill well over a million vacancies a year.

It offers practical help to those seeking jobs, and administers programmes like New Deal to help unemployed people back to work. It provides support for those who are long-term sick or disabled, including benefits and real help in finding work.

The Pension Service supports pensioners by helping them to receive all they are entitled to. It helps those near retirement or planning for retirement to think about the right sort of pension provision.

The Child Support Agency is a child support service, which plays its part in ensuring that children whose parents do not live together are financially supported and kept out of poverty.

Here is a list of ministers who work for the Department.

• Back to Guide to Government

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

The Rt Hon James Purnell MP

The Secretary of State has overall responsibility for all work and pension matters as well as public expenditure issues.

Minister of State

The Rt Hon Mike O'Brien MP

Responsibilities:

• Pensions Reform
• Personal accounts
• The Pension Service
• State pensions provision including Pension Credit
• Winter Fuel Payments
• Pension Protection Fund
• private pensions (including The Pensions Regulator)
• Financial Assistance Scheme
• Ageing Society strategy
• Extending working lives (including age-discrimination in relation to retirement)
• e-Government
• Better Regulation

Minister of State

Stephen Timms MP

Responsibilities:

• Labour market and the economy
• Labour market statistics
• Welfare Reform
• Jobcentre Plus
• Employment programmes, including the future of the New Deal
• Implementation of Employment and Support Allowance and Pathways to Work
• Lone parents, childcare and partners
• Ethnic minority employment (Chair of EME taskforce)
• Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
• Adult Disadvantage
• Child Poverty and young people (including links with Department for Children, Schools and Families)
• Extending working lives (shared with Minister of State for Pensions Reform)
• Cities Strategy
• Employers (including the National Employment Panel)
• Skills
• Disadvantaged areas and regional issues
• Tax Credits (where DWP has an interest)

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Lord McKenzie of Luton

Responsibilities:

• All DWP issues in the Lords
• Child Support Agency
• Child Maintenance policy
• Health and Safety Executive and Commission
• Health, work and well being
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Mesothelioma
• Statutory Sick Pay
• Maternity and paternity pay
• Sustainable development issues
• Diversity
• Freedom of Information
• Data Protection
• Human Rights
• Devolution research and statistics
• Civil partnerships
• Industrial Injuries Disability Benefit (IIDB)

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Anne McGuire MP

Responsibilities:

• Disability legislation
• Disability Rights Commission and Single Equality Body
• Remploy, Workstep, Supported Employment
• Access to Work
• Independent Living Funds
• Vaccine Damage Payments
• Carers' issues and long term care
• Carer's Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance
• Motability and Specialised Vehicles Fund (SVF)
• Civil partnerships
• Departmental management issues

Lead in the Commons:

• Health and Safety Executive and Commission, including Employer's Liability Compulsory Insurance, Occupational Health and Sickness Absence
• Human Rights
• Freedom of Information
• Maternity and paternity pay

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

James Plaskitt MP

Responsibilities:

• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Bereavement Benefit
• Income Support
• Jobseekers Allowance
• Students
• International relations
• European Union Business
• Social Fund
• European Social Fund
• Debt management policy
• Fraud and error
• Methods of payment reform
• The euro
• Better Buildings
• Benefit Simplification
• Habitual Residency Test
• Compensation Recovery Unit
• National Insurance Numbers (NINOs)
• support on pensions legislation
• Correspondence Champion
• Social Security Advisory Committee
• Varney review

Leads in the Commons on:

• Child Support Agency
• Departmental Green Issues

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for the East of England

Barbara Follett MP

Responsibilities to be confirmed

Contact department

If you wish to write to the DWP please use the following address:

Department for Work and Pensions
Correspondence Unit
Room 540
The Adelphi
1-11 John Adam Street
London
WC2N 6HT

Useful links

• Department for Work and Pensions Website (opens in new window)