Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what quality assurance arrangements are in place for final complaint responses issued by the Department.

The Department does not measure complaints timings as described in the question (i.e. average response times). We recognise that response times to hon. Members’ enquiries on behalf of constituents have not been consistently adequate in recent months, as higher complaint volumes and increasingly complex cases have affected our response times. However, the Department is actively addressing these pressures and driving improvements in both timeliness and efficiency.

The Department is taking urgent action to reduce complaint backlogs and improve response times, with a clear focus on resolving issues as quickly as possible, including at the earliest point of contact where appropriate.

To support this, we have deployed additional resources to complaints and correspondence teams and prioritised activity to reduce outstanding volumes and strengthen performance monitoring to improve timeliness. We have introduced senior oversight and improving case management processes to support faster and more consistent responses.

Where a complaint requires formal investigation, the Department’s service standard aims to provide a full response within 15 working days. More complex cases may take longer; however, the Department seeks to keep customers informed of progress and expected timescales.

The Department is clear that hon. Members must be able to rely on timely and accurate information when representing their constituents. Improving response times remains a key operational priority, and these measures are intended to restore performance to the expected standard.