Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral contribution of 17 March 2022, Official report 1031, on the closure of DWP processing centres, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those closures on the processing of social security payments.
The Department’s strategic ambition for its back of house estate, announced on 17 March, will reshape how and where the Department works, resulting in a smaller, greener and better estate. This is not about reducing headcount. The Department’s priorities while delivering these changes will be to retain, retrain, and redeploy either within DWP or other government departments in order to ensure we maintain the processing and payment of benefits, where necessary, moving work across the wider delivery network to ensure continuity of service to claimants.
Impacted colleagues are currently having one-to-one discussions with local leaders where their individual circumstances, including any potential impact for those with protected characteristics are discussed and potential options considered therefore we do not have figures on the number of staff offered a relocation until these discussions are completed.