Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse has been of work done so far by the Independent Case Examiner on individual cases brought on the grounds of unjust treatment of women approaching pension age which have now been closed in response to the current Judicial Review of her Department's handling of the changes to women's pension age.

Individual government departments have long established complaints procedures. That approach has not changed under Labour governments 1997-2010 or successive governments. The DWP has a two tier complaints process which considers formal complaints about our service. Once a complainant has exhausted the DWP complaint process they are signposted to the Independent Case Examiner’s Office if they are dissatisfied with the final response to their complaint. The Independent Case Examiner is independent.

The Independent Case Examiner’s Office cost per case, which is currently £2,374, covers the whole process from receipt to investigation conclusion. The information requested relating to the total cost of work done is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.