Departmental Response Times 2026-04-27
2026-04-27
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
What steps he is taking to improve his Department [10D [K Department's response times.
Our annual report and accounts 2024-25 states that, [5D [K that, in that year, we answered some 43 million calls—up from 37 million in [2D [K in the previous year. Our call-answering rate increased to 86%, and the ave [3D [K average answering time improved by one minute and 12 seconds. However, we d [1D [K do of course want to make further improvements where we can. We have contin [6D [K continued to prioritise the service by focusing extra resources, and are cu [2D [K currently making a systematic effort to clear agent work queues to free up [K capacity. We hope to see that progress lead to further improvements very so [2D [K soon.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP noted her office faces long delays d [1D [K dealing with the DWP. In September 2024, a constituent appealed against a p [1D [K personal independence payment assessment for her husband who passed away tw [2D [K two months later. She received a letter in January saying she was overpaid [K by £7,000 and another in April stating an owed amount of £4,086.
I am glad that the call answering has speeded up, [3D [K up, but, like those of many other Members, my office is constantly dealing [K with very long delays on the part of the DWP. Back in September 2024, my co [2D [K constituent Jackie appealed against a personal independence payment assessm [7D [K assessment for her husband, who died a couple of months later. In January, [K she received a letter saying that she had been overpaid by £7,000. I became [6D [K became involved in the middle of last year, when it was established that th [2D [K the figure was £75. The DWP confirmed that in January, but in April—so we a [1D [K are now nearly two years on—my constituent received a letter saying that sh [2D [K she now owed £4,086. Given the radical plans to cut civil service numbers, [K what steps will the Secretary of State and his team take to deliver a bette [5D [K better service in order to ensure that constituents such as Jackie do not s [1D [K suffer emotional or financial distress?
I would be happy to look into that case if the hon. [4D [K hon. Lady writes to me. I am sorry if she feels that her constituent has be [2D [K been let down. We are taking additional steps—beyond those relating to call [4D [K call handling—to look at responsiveness more broadly. I apologise: it was n [1D [K not clear from the wording of her original question that she was referring [K to correspondence as well as telephony.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific steps and timeline for improved service [K in response to constituent issues were not provided
It Was Not Clear From The Wording Of Her Origi [5D [K Original Question
Response accuracy