Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve the accuracy of automated decision-making tools used in benefit administration.

The Department uses automated decision-making in some areas, as described in our Personal Information Charter. Customers are told when an automated decision has been made in relation to their case, along with information on the steps they would need to take if they want to exercise their right to ask for a human to review that decision.

Using automated decision-making allows us to improve accuracy, speeds up delivery and frees up colleagues’ time so they can support the people who need it most.

DWP has a legal requirement to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place when carrying out automated decision-making. The Department carries out regular checks to ensure our systems are working as intended, and any new features go through rigorous testing.