Research and analysis

DWP Customer Experience Survey: Benefit Customers 2022 to 2023

Updated 27 November 2024

DWP Research Report No: 1062
Crown copyright: 2024
First Published: 29 August 2024
ISBN: 978-1-78659-685-7

The Customer Experience Survey (CES) is designed to monitor customer satisfaction with the services offered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to inform improvements in service delivery. It is an ongoing cross-sectional study with quarterly interviewing. This research was externally commissioned by DWP with fieldwork independently conducted by Ipsos (previously known as Ipsos MORI).

The data in this report is based on 8,867 interviews conducted with benefit customers who had contact with DWP between April 2022 and March 2023. The survey covers 8 benefits:

• State Pension
• Pension Credit
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance for Children
• Personal Independence Payment
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Universal Credit.

This report presents data on overall customer satisfaction and looks at survey data that is mapped to the DWP Customer Experience Drivers. The DWP Customer Experience Drivers provide standards against which customer service delivery can be measured. This report includes data relating to:

• Get it Right
• Make it Easy
• Communicate Clearly
• Professional and Supportive.

An annex has been included at the end of this report outlining the results of the Customer Priorities Survey, an ad hoc survey conducted by Ipsos in 2022.

Our thanks go to all those who gave up their time to take part in this study.  

At a glance – Overall customer satisfaction

More than 8 out of 10 customers were satisfied with DWP services overall.

Satisfied: 83%

Dissatisfied: 17%

About the survey

Survey methodology

Sample

CES is a survey of customers who have had recent contact with DWP, rather than all DWP customers. When CES replaced the previous Claimant Service and Experience Survey (CSES) in 2019, the sample design was revised: as the Universal Credit rollout replaced legacy benefits, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support customers were no longer included. CES covers the following 8 benefits: State Pension; Pension Credit; Attendance Allowance; Carer’s Allowance; Disability Living Allowance for Children; Personal Independence Payment; Employment and Support Allowance; and Universal Credit.

The sample includes benefit customers who have been in contact with DWP during each 3-month quarter^{[footnote 1]} to either: make a new claim, report a change of circumstances, or (for UC and ESA customers) attend a mandatory Jobcentre appointment. ‘Contact’ includes any time a customer has phoned, written a letter, emailed, visited a Jobcentre, filled in an online form, or used their UC online journal to get in touch with DWP. Customers are also included in the sample if a DWP colleague has contacted them using any of these methods. For the contact to be identified and the customer included in the overall survey population, it needs to have triggered a change in DWP administrative data during the 3-month quarter.

A quota sample design is used to meet minimum interview targets for each benefit group and contact reason, with a random sample of customers drawn from the population to meet these quotas. Weighting is then applied to the data so that findings are representative of the survey population: data is weighted by age, gender, length of claim, contact reason and benefit type. For UC customers, data is also weighted by UC region.

Fieldwork

When CES replaced the previous CSES, the survey moved to a mixed-mode online and telephone data collection approach. In 2022/23, fieldwork was conducted quarterly. The data in this report is based on 8,867 interviews, conducted with benefit customers who had contact with DWP between April 2022 and March 2023.

Statistical conventions

Percentages in charts may not always add to 100% due to rounding.

The commentary accompanying this report (in the overall satisfaction and customer characteristics sections) focuses on differences that are statistically significant at a 95% confidence level. This means that you would only expect to see the result caused by chance 1 in 20 times.

Responses for sub-groups with larger base sizes will be more robust and have a lower margin of error than sub-groups with smaller base sizes. Therefore, it is possible to identify relatively small differences as being statistically significant when comparing sub-groups which have larger sample sizes. The issue of sub-group size particularly applies to the customer characteristics section where the sample sizes for some ethnicities are smaller.

Results: Overall satisfaction

More than 8 out of 10 customers reported being satisfied with the services provided by DWP

In 2022 to 2023, overall customer satisfaction was 83%. ‘Don’t Know’ responses to the overall satisfaction question are excluded from analysis throughout.

Figure 1: Overall percentage of customers who were satisfied or dissatisfied with the services provided by DWP

Response	2022 to 2023 (%)
Satisfied	83%
Dissatisfied	17%

Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses): 8,586.

Overall satisfaction was high across most benefits

In 2022 to 2023, overall satisfaction was high across most benefits, ranging from 77% for PIP to 94% for AA.

Figure 2: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by benefit

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
UC	83%
ESA	81%
PIP	77%
DLAc	88%
AA	94%
CA	91%
SP	93%
PC	89%

Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses). UC (2,474); ESA (1,058); PIP (991); DLAc (811); AA (803); CA (790); SP (844); PC (815).

Results by Customer Experience Driver

This section of the report is structured around 4 Customer Experience Drivers:

• Get it Right
• Make it Easy
• Communicate Clearly
• Professional and Supportive.

The questions presented below have been selected on the basis that they have the best coverage of survey respondents, as some questions are only asked to particular customer groups.

Get it Right

Questions that relate to the Get it Right Driver are reported below.

Almost 8 out of 10 customers agreed that staff did what they said they would

Overall, 79% of customers agreed that staff^{[footnote 2]} did what they said they would. The results for individual benefits ranged from 77% for UC to 91% for CA.

Figure 3: Percentage of customers who agreed that staff did what they said they would

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	79%
UC	77%
ESA	82%
PIP	80%
DLAc	86%
AA	89%
CA	91%
SP	87%
PC	84%

Base: All customers who had phone, online, or in person contact (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (6,106); UC (1,774); ESA (778); PIP (840); DLAc (566); AA (434); CA (595); SP (435); PC (684). 

Almost 8 out of 10 customers agreed that DWP staff provided them with accurate information

Overall, 78% of customers agreed that DWP staff provided them with accurate information. This varied by benefit, ranging from 75% for UC to 89% for CA and SP.

Figure 4: Percentage of customers who agreed that DWP staff provided accurate information

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	78%
UC	75%
ESA	79%
PIP	78%
DLAc	84%
AA	88%
CA	89%
SP	89%
PC	85%

Base: All customers who had phone, online, or in person contact (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (6,182); UC (1,820); ESA (781); PIP (843); DLAc (572); AA (429); CA (598); SP (451); PC (688).

More than 8 out of 10 New customers were satisfied with the time it took for DWP to tell them the outcome of their claim

This question was only asked to New customers. Overall, 83% of these customers were satisfied with the time it took DWP to tell them the outcome of their claim. Satisfaction differed by benefit, with results ranging from 74% for PIP and ESA to 96% for AA.

Figure 5: Percentage of New customers who were satisfied with the time it took for DWP to tell them the outcome of their claim

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	83%
UC	83%
ESA	74%
PIP	74%
DLAc	79%
AA	96%
CA	91%
SP	93%
PC	85%

Base: All New customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (3,132); UC (462); ESA (447); PIP (445); DLAc (226); AA (475); CA (406); SP (450); PC (221). 

More than 9 out of 10 customers agreed that DWP made payments when they said they would

Overall, 93% of customers reported that DWP made payments when they said they would. The results were above 90% for all benefits, ranging from 91% for ESA to 98% for DLAc.

Figure 6: Percentage of customers who agreed that DWP made payments when they said they would

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	93%
UC	93%
ESA	91%
PIP	95%
DLAc	98%
AA	96%
CA	96%
SP	97%
PC	95%

Base: All customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (8,783); UC (2,571); ESA (1,090), PIP (1,017), DLAc (828), AA (812), CA (799), SP (848), PC (818).

Make it Easy

Questions that relate to the Make it Easy Driver are reported below.

Almost 9 out of 10 customers reported that it was easy to find all the information they needed on GOV.UK

Of those who used GOV.UK to find out about their claim eligibility or whether they needed to report a change of circumstances, 88% reported that it was easy to find all the information they needed. This ranged from 82% for PIP to 94% for CA.

Figure 7: Percentage of customers who reported that it was easy to find all the information they needed on the government website

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	88%
UC	89%
ESA	83%
PIP	82%
DLAc	89%
AA	87%
CA	94%
SP	91%
PC	86%

Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers who used the government website (GOV.UK). Overall (3,568); UC (925); ESA (338); PIP (424); DLAc (279); AA (359); CA (466); SP (529); PC (248).

Three quarters of New customers and 8 out of 10 Change of Circumstances customers found it easy to make a new claim or report a change of circumstances

Overall, 75% of New customers found the process of making a new claim easy. This varied by benefit, from 50% for PIP to 95% for SP.

For those who reported a change of circumstances, 80% of customers found the process easy. By benefit, this ranged from 68% for ESA and PIP to 91% for SP.

Figure 8: Percentage of customers who found the process of making a new claim or reporting a change of circumstances easy

Benefit	New customers 2022 to 2023 (%)	Change of circumstances customers 2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	75%	80%
UC	80%	82%
ESA	66%	68%
PIP	50%	68%
DLAc	54%	73%
AA	63%	79%
CA	91%	88%
SP	95%	91%
PC	80%	80%

Base: All New customers. Overall (3,132); UC (462); ESA (447); PIP (445); DLAc (226); AA (475); CA (406); SP (450); PC (221).

Base: All Change of Circumstances customers. Overall (4,544); UC (1,167); ESA (439); PIP (575); DLAc (604); AA (339); CA (401); SP (414); PC (605).  

More than 8 out of 10 UC customers reported that their online account was easy to use

UC customers were asked how easy or difficult they found using their UC online account. Overall, 87% reported that it was easy to use.

Figure 9: Percentage of UC customers who found it easy or difficult to use their online account

Response	2022 to 2023 (%)
Easy	87%
Difficult	10%
Do not have access to online account	2%
Don’t know	1%

Base: All UC customers (2,598).

More than 3 quarters of customers reported they were able to get the information they needed the first time they tried

Overall, 77% of customers reported that when they were first in touch with DWP, they were able to get the information they needed the first time they tried. The results for individual benefits ranged from 74% for ESA to 87% for SP.

Figure 10: Percentage of customers who reported being able to get the information they needed the first time they tried

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	77%
UC	76%
ESA	74%
PIP	78%
DLAc	80%
AA	83%
CA	86%
SP	87%
PC	78%

Base: All customers who had communications by phone, online, video call, or in person. Overall (6,144); UC (1,551); ESA (702); PIP (858); DLAc (606); AA (453); CA (671); SP (635); PC (668).

Almost 2 thirds of customers reported that they did not have to contact DWP more than once to explain the same information

Overall, 65% of customers agreed they did not have to contact DWP more than once to explain the same information. The results for individual benefits ranged from 61% for UC and ESA to 86% for SP.

Figure 11: Percentage of customers who did not have to contact DWP more than once to explain the same information about their new claim/change of circumstances

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	65%
UC	61%
ESA	61%
PIP	63%
DLAc	77%
AA	82%
CA	78%
SP	86%
PC	67%

Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers. Overall (7,676); UC (1,629); ESA (886); PIP (1,020); DLAc (830); AA (814); CA (807); SP (864); PC (826).

Communicate Clearly

Questions that relate to the Communicate Clearly Driver are reported below.

Around 8 out of 10 customers agreed the communication they received was easy to understand

Overall, 81% of customers agreed that the communication they received from DWP was easy to understand. Results for individual benefits ranged from 78% for ESA to 92% for SP.

Figure 12: Percentage of customers who agreed that the communication they received was easy to understand

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	81%
UC	79%
ESA	78%
PIP	79%
DLAc	86%
AA	90%
CA	91%
SP	92%
PC	85%

Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (7,446); UC (1,585); ESA (863); PIP (988); DLAc (819); AA (770); CA (785); SP (830); PC (806).

More than 3 quarters of customers reported they had a good understanding of what would happen next

Overall, 77% of customers reported they had a good understanding of what would happen next during the claims process/when reporting a change of circumstances. Results for individual benefits ranged from 74% for UC to 92% for SP.

Figure 13: Percentage of customers who agreed they had a good understanding of what would happen next

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	77%
UC	74%
ESA	75%
PIP	77%
DLAc	83%
AA	87%
CA	88%
SP	92%
PC	80%

Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (7,502); UC (1,600); ESA (873); PIP (992); DLAc (813); AA (786); CA (787); SP (839); PC (812).

Around 7 out of 10 New customers reported that DWP told them when they should expect a decision on their benefit eligibility

This question was only asked to New customers. Overall, 71% of these customers reported that DWP told them when they should expect a decision about their benefit eligibility. This varied by benefit, ranging from 63% for ESA to 82% for AA.

Figure 14: Percentage of New customers who reported that DWP told them when they should expect a decision on their benefit eligibility

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	71%
UC	72%
ESA	63%
PIP	71%
DLAc	78%
AA	82%
CA	71%
SP	69%
PC	70%

Base: All New customers. Overall (3,132); UC (462); ESA (447); PIP (445); DLAc (226); AA (475); CA (406); SP (450); PC (221).

Almost 8 out of 10 New customers reported that the outcome of their claim was explained with enough detail to understand DWP’s decision

This question was only asked to New customers. Overall, 78% of these customers reported that DWP gave sufficiently detailed explanations to allow them to understand DWP’s decision on the outcome of their claim. This ranged from 73% for ESA to 92% for AA.

Figure 15: Percentage of New customers who reported that the outcome of their claim was explained with enough detail to allow them to understand DWP’s decision

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	78%
UC	75%
ESA	73%
PIP	75%
DLAc	83%
AA	92%
CA	91%
SP	87%
PC	86%

Base: All New customers. Overall (3,132); UC (462); ESA (447); PIP (445); DLAc (226); AA (475); CA (406); SP (450); PC (221).

Professional and Supportive

Questions that relate to the Professional and Supportive Driver are reported below.

Around 3 quarters of customers agreed that staff understood their needs

Overall, 76% of customers agreed that DWP staff understood their needs. The results for individual benefits ranged from 72% for PIP to 92% for SP.

Figure 16: Percentage of customers who agreed that staff understood their needs

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	76%
UC	73%
ESA	80%
PIP	72%
DLAc	85%
AA	86%
CA	90%
SP	92%
PC	85%

Base: All customers who had phone, online, or in person contact (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (6,208); UC (1,821); ESA (787); PIP (852); DLAc (582); AA (432); CA (606); SP (438); PC (690).

More than 7 out of 10 of customers agreed that DWP tailored services to their personal circumstances

Overall, 72% of customers agreed that the services they received from DWP were tailored to their specific circumstances. This ranged from 66% for PIP to 84% for CA and SP.

Figure 17: Percentage of customers who agreed that DWP tailored services to their personal circumstances

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	72%
UC	70%
ESA	69%
PIP	66%
DLAc	73%
AA	81%
CA	84%
SP	84%
PC	82%

Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (7,027); UC (1,537); ESA (839); PIP (956); DLAc (754); AA (684); CA (739); SP (741); PC (777).

More than 8 out of 10 customers agreed that DWP staff handled their request professionally

Overall, 82% of customers agreed that their request was handled professionally by DWP staff. This varied by benefit, ranging from 79% for UC to 93% for CA.

Figure 18: Percentage of customers who agreed that their request was handled professionally

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	82%
UC	79%
ESA	86%
PIP	82%
DLAc	90%
AA	92%
CA	93%
SP	90%
PC	89%

Base: All customers who had phone/online/in person contact (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (6,457); UC (1,846); ESA (799); PIP (869); DLAc (596); AA (463); CA (660); SP (516); PC (708).

Around 8 out of 10 UC and ESA customers were satisfied with the employment support they received from their DWP work coach

81% of UC and ESA customers (combined), whose most recent appointment was to discuss employment support or their claimant commitment, were satisfied with the employment support they received from their DWP work coach. Conversely, 16% of UC and ESA customers were dissatisfied with this support.

Figure 19: Percentage of UC and ESA customers who were satisfied or dissatisfied with the employment support received from their work coach

Response	2022 to 2023 (%)
Satisfied	81%
Dissatisfied	16%
Don’t know	3%

Base: All UC and ESA customers whose most recent appointment was to discuss employment support or their claimant commitment, excluding Not Applicable responses (646).

Almost 8 out of 10 UC customers reported that their work coach tailored their claimant commitment to their personal circumstances

This question was only asked to UC customers. 78% agreed that their work coach tailored their claimant commitment to their personal circumstances, whereas 12% disagreed.

Figure 20: Percentage of UC customers who agreed or disagreed that their work coach tailored their claimant commitment to their personal circumstances

Response	2022 to 2023 (%)
Agree	78%
Disagree	12%
Don’t know	10%

Base: All UC customers who were included in the sample due to attending a mandatory Jobcentre appointment (897).

Customer characteristics

The following section explores overall customer satisfaction by age, gender, ethnicity, and whether customers reported having a long-term health condition. It also looks at customers’ digital propensity.

Age: Older customers were more likely to be satisfied than younger customers

Customers from both the 66 to 74 and 75+ age groups were more likely to report being satisfied when compared to all other age groups. The differences in satisfaction between the 66+ age groups and the 16 to 65 age groups are all statistically significant. The higher satisfaction scores of those aged 66 and over reflect the higher overall satisfaction observed among PC, SP, and AA customers. These are all retirement age benefits, and those in the 66+ age groups are more likely to have been surveyed in relation to one of these benefits. DLAc customers are excluded from the specific age groups as we do not know the age of the parent/guardian who completed the survey on behalf of the benefit recipient.

Figure 21: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by age

Age	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	83%
16 to 24	85%
25 to 34	82%
35 to 44	81%
45 to 54	80%
55 to 60	82%
61 to 65	83%
66 to 74	92%
75+	91%

Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses and all DLAc customers). Overall (7,772); 16 to 24 (409); 25 to 34 (911); 35 to 44 (1,027); 45 to 54 (1,110); 55 to 60 (831); 61 to 65 (832); 66 to 74 (1,459); 75+ (1,193).

Gender: Satisfaction was similar between men and women

There is no significant difference between satisfaction levels for men and women.

Figure 22: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by gender

Gender	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	83%
Female	84%
Male	83%

Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses). Overall (8,586); Female (4,936); Male (3,650).

Ethnicity: Satisfaction for customers from Black/African/Caribbean/Black British backgrounds was higher than for all other ethnic groups

Satisfaction scores across ethnicity groups ranged from 81% for those who identified as Mixed/Multiple ethnicities to 90% for those who identified as Black/African/Caribbean/Black British. However, at 74%, satisfaction was lowest for those who preferred not to disclose their ethnicity during the survey. Satisfaction was highest among Black/African/Caribbean/Black British customers, whose score was 7 percentage points higher than for White customers, a difference which is statistically significant.

Low base sizes for the Mixed/Multiple ethnicities and Other groups mean these scores should be treated with caution.

Figure 23: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by ethnicity

Ethnicity	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	83%
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British	90%
Other	87%
Asian/Asian British	86%
White	83%
Mixed/Multiple ethnicities	81%
Prefer not to say	74%

Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses). Overall (8,586); Black/African/Caribbean/Black British (307); Other (107); Asian/Asian British (322); White (7,475); Mixed/Multiple ethnicities (133); Prefer not to say (226).

A small number of participants declared they did not know their ethnicity. They were included in the analysis for the Overall group, although they do not appear separately in the chart or the base sizes.

Long-term health conditions: Those who did not have a long-term health condition were more likely to be satisfied than customers with at least one long-term health condition(s)

Customers who did not report having any long-term health conditions were more satisfied (89%) than those who reported having a physical health condition(s), a mental health condition(s), or both. The differences between the satisfaction of all groups with long-term health conditions compared to customers with no long-term health condition are statistically significant.

Amongst customers who reported having a long-term health condition, those who had only a physical health condition(s) were more likely to report being satisfied (86%) compared to those who had only a mental health condition(s) (79%) or reported having both physical and mental health conditions (75%). These results reflect the lower overall satisfaction scores observed for ESA and PIP, as the majority of these customers reported having either a mental health condition(s) or both physical and mental health conditions.

A long-term health condition or disability is defined as any physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more, as self-reported by customers responding to the survey.

Figure 24: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by whether they reported a long-term health condition

Health condition	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	83%
No health condition	89%
Physical health condition(s)	86%
Mental health condition(s)	79%
Both physical and mental health conditions	75%
Prefer not to say	88%

Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses). Overall (8,586); No health condition (2,656); Physical health condition(s) (2,497); Mental health condition(s) (975); Both physical and mental health conditions (2,086); Prefer not to say (372).

Long-term health condition profile

This section explores the customer composition by long-term health conditions.

Six out of 10 customers reported having a long-term health condition(s)

21% of customers reported having only a physical health condition(s); 15% reported having only a mental health condition(s); and 24% reported having both physical and mental health conditions. More than one in 3 customers reported they had no long-term conditions (34%).

Figure 25: Percentage of customers by whether or not they have a long-term health condition(s)

	Percentage
Long-term physical health condition	21%
Long-term mental health condition	15%
Long-term physical and mental health condition	24%
Long term health conditions total	60%
No long-term health conditions	34%
Prefer not to say	6%

Base: All customers (8,867).

Digital propensity

This section explores customers’ digital propensity.

More than 9 out of 10 of the customers who participated in the survey declared they had internet access

Overall, 94% of customers reported they could access the internet, either at home or elsewhere. However, this varied by benefit, ranging from 75% for PC to 96% for UC and DLAc.

Figure 26: Percentage of customers who had access to the internet

Benefit	2022 to 2023 (%)
Overall	94%
UC	96%
ESA	89%
PIP	91%
DLAc	96%
AA	81%
CA	94%
SP	94%
PC	75%

Base: All customers. Overall (8,867); UC (2,598); ESA (1,108); PIP (1,020); DLAc (830); AA (814); CA (807); SP (864); PC (826).

The majority of customers said they could have accessed government services using the internet

Customers were asked if, had it been available, they could have used the internet to access government services. Overall, 68% reported they could do so without help. This varied widely by benefit, from 41% for PC to 77% for SP. A further 17% of all customers could have accessed these services with help.

Figure 27: Percentage of customers who could have accessed government services using the internet if it was available

Benefit	Yes, without help 2022 to 2023 (%)	Yes, with help 2022 to 2023 (%)	Total
Overall	68%	17%	85%
UC	72%	14%	86%
ESA	51%	31%	81%
PIP	50%	33%	82%
DLAc	76%	14%	90%
AA	44%	27%	71%
CA	73%	12%	85%
SP	77%	12%	88%
PC	41%	24%	64%

Base: All customers. Overall (8,867); UC (2,598); ESA (1,108); PIP (1,020); DLAc (830); AA (814); CA (807); SP (864); PC (826).

Note: The group percentages in the chart may not sum to the total percentages due to rounding.

Annex A

Customer Priorities Survey results

Introduction

The Customer Priorities Survey was conducted by Ipsos in 2022 to provide further data on customers’ preferences regarding the service they receive from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The aim of this research was to help DWP identify and prioritise the service elements that are important to customers.

Methodology and sample

Sample

The Customer Priorities Survey was carried out by Ipsos with a sample consisting of 180 respondents from the Customer Experience Survey (CES) who were invited to take part at the end of the survey, and 1,099 KnowledgePanel respondents (more information below). After data cleansing, this left 1,207 responses for analysis.

The survey was completed by customers from a range of benefits, including all benefits covered in CES, as well as a select number of others not usually sampled.

Sample – Ipsos KnowledgePanel

Ipsos’s KnowledgePanel is a panel survey of 20,000 people aged 16+. Participants are selected through random probability sampling, with letters sent to random UK addresses inviting them to sign up to the panel.

From the KnowledgePanel, 1,099 statistically representative DWP customers of different benefit types were identified and took part in the research, with a 60 to 65% response rate over a 6-day fieldwork period. This was more than double the responses that Ipsos expected to achieve, with most of the additional responses coming from State Pension customers. This informed how the findings were subsequently reported, with State Pension customers being allocated their own customer group instead of being grouped with Retirement Services as they would usually be.

Methodology

As the aim of the survey was to help understand which aspects of DWP services are valued more or less highly by each benefit group, a Maximum Difference survey type was used. Maximum Difference Scaling (MaxDiff) is a way of understanding customer preferences. It is a trade-off technique (i.e. customers “trade off” elements of service against others) that helps to establish the importance of different measures in determining customer satisfaction.

Customers were presented with groupings of statements corresponding to different aspects of DWP’s customer service. By having respondents rank these statements from most to least important, the research built a robust “importance score” for each of the 23 statements. This score was on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being least important and 100 being most important.

Respondents were split into 6 separate customer groups related to their benefit type when analysing findings:

• Universal Credit
• State Pension (SP)
• Retirement benefits (excluding SP)
• Disability benefits
• Child Maintenance Service
• Other.

Results

Across all 6 customer groups, the top 5 “most important” statements were the same, with “Being paid accurately” identified as the most important aspect of DWP service across all customer groups.

Table 1: Results of Customer Priorities Survey by customer group (top 5 most important statements)

	Universal Credit	State Pension	Retirement benefits – excl. SP (AA, CA, PC, Winter Fuel Payment)	Disability benefits (ESA, PIP, DLA-child, IIDB)	Child Maintenance Service	Other
Most important	Being paid accurately [score = 58]	Being paid accurately [score = 63]	Being paid accurately [score = 60]	Being paid accurately [score = 57]	Being paid accurately [score = 52]	Being paid accurately [score = 62]
2nd most important	Being paid on time [score = 54]	Being paid on time [score = 49]	Being paid on time [score = 47]	Being paid on time [score = 50]	Being paid on time [score = 45]	Being paid on time [score = 56]
3rd most important	DWP takes the right action at the first time of contact [score = 37]	DWP takes the right action at the first time of contact [score = 49]	DWP takes the right action at the first time of contact [score = 44]	DWP takes the right action at the first time of contact [score = 40]	DWP takes the right action at the first time of contact [score = 41]	DWP takes the right action at the first time of contact [score = 36]
4th most important	Staff take responsibility to resolve issues when things go wrong [score = 36]	Staff take responsibility to resolve issues when things go wrong [score = 40]	Staff take responsibility to resolve issues when things go wrong [score = 37]	Staff take responsibility to resolve issues when things go wrong [score = 36]	Staff take responsibility to resolve issues when things go wrong[score = 40]	Staff take responsibility to resolve issues when things go wrong [score = 36]
5th most important	Trusting DWP to do what it says it will do [score = 32]	Trusting DWP to do what it says it will do [score = 33]	Trusting DWP to do what it says it will do [score = 34]	Trusting DWP to do what it says it will do [score = 34]	Trusting DWP to do what it says it will do [score = 38]	Trusting DWP to do what it says it will do [score = 33]

1. Because of the smaller number of DLAc customers, the sample was extended to include New customers who had contact with DWP over a period of 4 months. This is to ensure robust results for the DLAc New customer group. ↩

2. This report refers to “staff” to reflect the wording used when the questionnaire was designed. In future, this will be updated to “colleagues”. ↩