Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions
Welsh: Yr Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau
Department overview
Formed8 June 2001 (2001-06-08)
Preceding Department
JurisdictionGovernment of the United Kingdom
HeadquartersCaxton House
7th Floor
6–12 Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA
Employees84,550 as of June 2024
Annual budget£176.3 billion (Resource AME),
£6.3 billion (Resource DEL),
£0.3 billion (Capital DEL),
£2.3 billion (Non-Budget Expenditure)
Estimated for year ending 31 March 2017
Secretary of State responsible
Department executives
Websitegov.uk/dwp

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK's biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. It is the second-largest governmental department in terms of employees, and the second largest in terms of expenditure (£228 billion as of July 2021).

The department has two delivery services: Jobcentre Plus administers working age benefits: Universal Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance; the Child Maintenance Service provides the statutory child support scheme. DWP also administers State Pension, Pension Credit, disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment, and support for life events from Maternity Allowance to bereavement benefits.

Non-departmental bodies accountable to DWP include the Health and Safety Executive, The Pensions Regulator and the Money and Pensions Service.