Perceptions of the Department for Work and Pensions: Wave two, October to November 2025

Question 1

Voluntary statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

Accepted Answer

The Code of Practice for Statistics (the Code) is built around 3 main concepts (or pillars) of trustworthiness, quality and value:

trustworthiness is about having confidence in the people and organisations that publish statistics
quality is about using data and methods that produce assured statistics
value is about publishing data that support society’s needs for information

The following explains how Ipsos has applied the pillars of the Code proportionately.

Trustworthiness

This research demonstrates trustworthiness through its commitment to independence and transparency. As an independent market research agency, Ipsos UK ensured that the findings are impartial and unbiased. Rigorous data security measures were implemented to protect participant anonymity, adhere to ethical standards and safeguard sensitive information.

Quality

The most appropriate research method was selected to deliver quality research within the scope of Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) requirements. Quantitative data was weighted to ensure that the results are representative by age, gender and region. All work adheres to Ipsos’ standards and accreditations including ISO 20252, ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct.

Value

The research findings provided insights into the perceptions of the general population, DWP customers and other cohorts of interest for DWP and Jobcentre Plus (JCP). This information will help DWP better communicate its services. The findings also hold value for other organisations, policymakers, and researchers interested in social welfare and policy implementation.

Question 2

Authors

Accepted Answer

This report was written by researchers at Ipsos UK Public Affairs:

Elena Di Antonio, Associate Director

Jill Mansfield, Research Manager

Natasha Angus, Graduate Research Executive

Question 3

Executive summary

Accepted Answer

This report provides findings from the second wave of a survey to understand public perceptions of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Jobcentre Plus (JCP). The findings from this study provide DWP with insight into perceptions of the Department among the general population and DWP customers.

Key findings

Awareness

Of the individual Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) brands – DWP, Jobcentre Plus (JCP) and Universal Credit (UC) – awareness of UC continues to be most widespread among the general population and has increased slightly since wave 1. More than eight in ten (86% compared to 83% at wave 1) have heard of UC compared to 77% (75% at wave 1) who have heard of DWP and 74% (73% at wave 1) who have heard of JCP. Awareness of DWP and JCP has remained stable.

Knowledge

Awareness of DWP and its brands remains widespread but deeper knowledge continues to be limited. The general population say they know more about DWP than JCP: one in three (34%) know a fair amount or a lot about DWP compared to 29% who know a fair amount or a lot about JCP. This has remained stable since wave 1. Knowledge continues to be higher among DWP customers than the general population.

Knowledge of JCP’s remit has increased slightly among DWP customers and the general population. Compared to wave 1, both groups are more likely to identity a range of tasks as part of JCP’s role. For example, they are more likely to view helping people into work as JCP’s responsibility, rather than welfare tasks or career development services. DWP customers are more likely than the general population to correctly identify most tasks as within JCP’s remit, particularly tasks related to benefits, such as paying benefits to people of working age.

Trust

Consistent with wave 1, most of the general population trusts DWP to keep to its values. Levels of trust have not changed notably since wave 1.

71% of DWP customers agree that DWP staff would treat them with respect (a significant increase from 68% at wave 1), compared to 59% who agree that DWP staff understand their individual needs (59% at wave 1).

Similarly, and also in line with wave 1, most people who were not DWP customers expect they would receive professional and accurate support: 67% anticipate they would receive accurate information (65% at wave 1), 65% think their requests would be handled professionally (64% at wave 1), and just over half (52% at wave 2, 51% at wave 1) think their individual needs would be understood.

Accessing services

Although customers have greater knowledge of and more positive attitudes towards DWP and JCP than the general population, there have not been increases in their confidence or likelihood to use services. DWP customers are similarly likely in wave 1 and wave 2 to say they would use JCP to find a new job: 33% said they would use JCP for this at wave 2 compared to 35% at wave 1. Among the general population, there has been a decrease in the proportion who say they would use JCP to find a new job (29% said they would at wave 2 compared to 32% at wave 1).

Support for specific groups

Views are mixed on whether DWP provides the right amount support to people.

Around a third of the general population think that DWP provides the right amount of support to key groups. For example, 36% think that DWP provides the right amount of support to people of working age to help them back into work, and 25% think DWP provides the right amount of support to people over 50 who are out of work.

This compares with 31% of the general population who think that DWP does not provide the right amount of support to people of working age to help them back into work, and 36% of the general population who think DWP does not provide the right amount of support to people over 50 who are out of work.

36% of the general population believe that DWP does not provide enough support for individuals with long-term disabilities, whereas 30% believe DWP does offer the right amount of support. Similarly, 33% of the general population think DWP does not provide enough support for young people aged 16–24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), but 29% think this group does receive the right amount of support.

Approximately a further third of people say they do not know whether DWP provides the right amount of support to different groups.

Knowledge of PIP and payment of benefits

Awareness of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is highest among those with disabilities or health conditions: 92% have heard of PIP compared with 85% of the general population. DWP customers are more knowledgeable about PIP than the general population, but both groups have limited overall awareness.

Both the general population and DWP customers would prefer the Department to prioritise paying benefits accurately rather than quickly: 55% of the general population (and 59% of DWP customers) favour accuracy, compared to 26% (and 32% of DWP customers) who prioritise speed.

Question 4

List of abbreviations

Accepted Answer

DWP	Department for Work and Pensions
HMRC	His Majesty’s Revenues and Customs
JCP	Jobcentre Plus
NCS	National Careers Service
NEET	Not in education, employment or training (young people aged 16 to 24)
PC	Pension Credit
SP	State Pension
UC	Universal Credit
PIP	Personal Independence Payment

Question 5

Glossary of terms

Accepted Answer

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Department of the UK Government responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. Administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill-health benefits.

Jobcentre Plus (JCP)

Agency of the UK Government and brand used by the Department for Work and Pensions. Delivers a range of employment and welfare support services.

Universal Credit (UC)

A UK social security means tested payment for working age households with a low income.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

A UK social security benefit that provides additional financial support for people with a long-term physical or mental health disability who have difficulty with certain everyday tasks or getting about because of their condition.

Benefit recipient

A claimant of any DWP benefit. Benefits are defined as financial support to people who are out of work, on a low income, or have a health condition or disability.

Carer

Someone who looks after or gives help or support to anyone because they have a long-term physical or mental health condition(s) or illnesses, a disability or problems related to old age.

DWP customer

Someone who has used DWP or JCP in the past year either: - for themselves - to help someone else (such as a family or friend), in their capacity as an employer, to help an employee - in a professional capacity or as a volunteer with an organisation, such as to help someone get benefits advice

At wave 1 of the DWP Perceptions survey, the customer was defined as someone who had used DWP, JCP or UC in the past year.

DWP appointees

An appointed individual who has the right to deal with the benefits of someone who cannot manage their own affairs because they’re mentally incapable or severely disabled.

In-work benefits

State benefits that people who are in paid employment may be eligible for, such as Universal Credit.

Out-of-work benefits

State benefits that people who are not in paid employment may be eligible for, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Sanctions

Where someone’s benefit payments are stopped or otherwise limited for a period of time because they have not met the terms of their claimant agreement with DWP.

Significant / statistically significant

Comparisons between data are described as significant increases or decreases. This means that the difference is large enough that it is likely due to a genuine effect of relationships in the data and not due to random chance. Increases and decreases in this report are only shown when a statistical test shows these were significant. This is explained further in the report methodology.

Wave

A distinct survey, conducted at one point in time. Each time the survey is run is called a wave. The wave is a specific period of time when the survey is open.

Question 6

Background and methodology

Accepted Answer

Background to the research

This report provides findings from the second wave of a survey to understand public perceptions of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Jobcentre Plus (JCP).

The findings from this study provide DWP with insight into perceptions of the Department among the general population and DWP customers.

The first wave of this research took place in October 2024 with a sample size of 5,002 UK adults aged 16 and over. Wave 1 looked at awareness, knowledge, trust and understanding of DWP and its brands (JCP and UC). It also looked at access to and experience of DWP’s services.

Research objectives

The objectives of this research were to understand:

how DWP is perceived by the general public
how perceptions vary between DWP’s key audiences, such as DWP customers
the factors that influence these perceptions

Secondary objectives were to understand awareness of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit and views on benefit processing.

Methodology

The research for wave 2 comprised an online quantitative survey. The sample was drawn from Ipsos’ online panels, designed to reflect the UK population of adults aged 16 and over in the UK. This report is based on final, weighted data from 4,004 interviews. This is a slight variation from wave 1 where fieldwork comprised an online questionnaire with a sample of 5,002 (fieldwork took place 16 to 29 October 2024). The method, sample and weighting approaches were otherwise the same as at wave 2.

Fieldwork was carried out between 22 May and 9 June 2025. All findings reported are significant at the 95% confidence interval.

Questionnaire

The questionnaire covered:

awareness of DWP and JCP
knowledge and understanding of responsibilities and remit of DWP and JCP
perceptions of DWP and JCP, such as how effectively they deliver their services and how well they support their customers
feelings of trust in DWP and JCP, based on perceptions and experience of DWP’s transparency, competence, treatment of customers and its role in growing the economy
use of and access to DWP’s services
experience and expectations of service provided by DWP staff
awareness of PIP
perceptions and priorities regarding benefit claim processes

Data weighting and analysis

Data are weighted to the profile of the UK population by age, gender and region. Significant differences of interest are indicated with an asterisk (*) and defined in the footnotes for charts where these are shown.

Subgroup differences are reported where there are consistent differences for demographic groups across related survey questions.

Data is shown as whole percentages rounded to the nearest whole percent. Where data points are the total of two or more data points (such as the total of strongly agree and slightly agree responses), the effect of rounding may mean that there are variations of up to 1% between values reported in charts and text.

Statistical significance

Differences described as significant are statistically significant within a confidence interval of 95%. Differences that are statistically significant can be considered ‘real’ differences and unlikely to have happened by chance.

Open-ended responses, such as ‘other, please specify’ were coded with a threshold of 10 new responses for a new answer code.

Some totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding and where responses such as ‘prefer not to say’ are not shown. Percentages under 5% may not be shown.

Defining ‘DWP customers’

For the purposes of this survey, the term ‘DWP customers’ is defined as those who had interacted with DWP or JCP on their own behalf or for someone else (including in a professional capacity) within the last year. ^{[footnote 1]}

This definition is derived from their responses to the survey.^{[footnote 2]}

Note that:

not all DWP benefit recipients are defined as DWP customers, if they have not interacted with DWP or JCP in the last year
not all DWP customers are DWP benefit recipients, although there are high degrees of crossover between the two groups

People who have interacted with DWP or JCP on someone else’s behalf are not necessarily DWP appointees as the definition of a DWP appointee is more limited than that used in the questionnaire. More detailed criteria are set out in the GOV.UK guidance on becoming an appointee for someone claiming benefits.

Question 7

The Department for Work and Pensions’ audiences

Accepted Answer

This chapter presents a breakdown of use of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Jobcentre Plus (JCP) services in the last year, and compares demographic and household characteristics of those who have used DWP or JCP in the last year and those of the wider population.

Use of DWP in the past year

Of the two departmental ‘brands’ (DWP or JCP), people are most likely to report having used DWP in the past year, either for themselves or on behalf of another person (37%, compared to 30% for JCP).

Among the total population:

just over a fifth (23%) say they have used DWP for themselves or someone else in their household or family
12% report using DWP to help someone else such as a friend or relative
7% say they have used DWP in their capacity as a professional or volunteer with an organisation, such as to help someone get benefits advice
5% report using DWP for reasons related to employment or running their business.^{[footnote 3]}

Around 1 in 5 (19%) of the general population say that they have used JCP for themselves or someone in their household, while 10% say that they would use JCP to help someone else, such as a friend or relative. Meanwhile, 7% of people say that they have used JCP in a professional or voluntary capacity with an organisation, such as to help someone get benefits advice.

Figure 1 Use of DWP and JCP by the general population in the last year

-	Department for Work and Pensions	Jobcentre Plus
Used in any capacity	37%*	30%
Used for myself/ someone in my family/ household	23%*	19%
Helped someone else use this, such as a friend or relative	12%	10%
Used in a professional capacity or as a volunteer	7%	7%
Used this as an employer or part of my business	5%	0%
None of these, have not used this in the last year	57%	65%*

Q21. Which, if any, of the following best describes your experience with each of these in the last year? Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004 * Significant differences between DWP and JCP.^{[footnote 4]}

Benefit claimants among DWP customers

DWP customers are more likely than the general population to say that they claim DWP benefits. Almost half (45%) of DWP customers report currently claiming DWP benefits compared to a quarter (25%) of the general population.

Figure 2 Benefit claiming status among the general population and DWP customers

-	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
State Pension	17%	13%*
Universal Credit	12%	24%*
Child Benefit	11%	15%*
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)	7%	12%*
Housing Benefit	6%	10%*
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)	4%	8%*
Child Tax Credit	3%	6%*
Carer’s Allowance	3%	6%*
Working Tax Credit	3%	7%*
Pension Credit	3%	5%*
Any DWP benefit	25%	45%*
None of these	51%	36%*

Q9. Are you currently claiming any of the following state benefits, the State Pension or any tax credits? Base: General population wave 2 n=4,004; DWP customers wave 2 n = 1,706. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

Demographic profile of DWP customers surveyed

DWP customers are more likely to be male than female, with 55% being males and 45% females. Among DWP customers of working age, they are also most likely to be aged 25 to 34 (22%) and least likely to be aged 55 to 64 years (11%). DWP customers of all ages are least likely to be aged 75 or over.

Figure 3 Age profile of those who have used DWP or JCP in the last year

16-24	15%
25-34	22%
35-44	18%
45-54	16%
55-64	13%
65-74	11%
75+	6%

Q21. Which, if any, of the following best describes your experience with each of these in the last year? Base: DWP customers wave 2 n=1706.

As shown in Figure 4, the profile of DWP customers (those who have used DWP or JCP in the past year) is different to that of the general population on key demographic variables other than age and gender. DWP customers are significantly more likely than the general population to:

live in a household with children under the age 16 (39% of DWP customers compared to 29% of the general population)
be from among a minority ethnic background (26% of DWP customers compared to 19% of the general population)
have a long-term health condition that reduces their ability to carry out their day-to-day activities (42% of DWP customers compared to 33% of the general population)
have caring responsibilities for another person (33% DWP customers compared to 22% of the general population)

Figure 4 Characteristics of the general population compared to those who have used DWP or JCP in the last year

–	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
With children under 16 in household	29%	39%*
From an ethnic minority	19%	26%*
Long-term health condition - reducing ability to carry out activity a little/a lot	33%	42%*
Carer	22%	33%*

Various demographic and profiling questions. Base: General population wave 2 n=4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n= 1,706. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

Question 8

Awareness of the Department for Work and Pensions

Accepted Answer

This chapter examines awareness of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Jobcentre Plus (JCP) among the general population, how this varies among demographic groups and how the data compares with wave 1.

Awareness of DWP brands

UC continues to be the most widely recognised DWP brand, with 86% of the general population saying they have heard of it. Awareness has increased since wave 1, when 83% of the general population had heard of UC.

DWP is the second most recognised DWP brand (77%, a slight increase from 75% at wave 1) followed by JCP (74% at wave 2 compared to 73% at wave 1).

Among different government departments, DWP (77%) continues to be less widely known than the Home Office and HMRC (both 82%) but more widely recognised than the Department for Education (73%), and the Department for Health and Social Care (64%).

As shown in Figure 5, awareness of DWP, JCP and UC among the general population is slightly higher at wave 2 compared to wave 1.

The National Careers Service (NCS) is the organisation least likely to be recognised among those listed, selected by 38% of the general population at wave 2 (39% at wave 1).

Figure 5 Awareness of organisations and benefits among the general population, waves 1 and 2

–	General population wave 2	General population wave 1
NHS	91%*	88%
Universal Credit	86%*	83%
Home Office	82%	81%
HMRC	82%*	80%
Citizens Advice	82%*	79%
DWP	77%*	75%
MoneySavingExpert.com	76%*	73%
Jobcentre Plus	74%	73%
Department for Education	73%*	71%
PIP	67%	0
Dept of Health and Social Care	64%	63%
National Careers Service	38%	39%

Q8. Before today, which, if any of the following have you heard of? Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, general population wave 1 n= 5,002. * Significant differences between waves. No data was collected about awareness of PIP at wave 1.

Knowledge of DWP

Most people have heard of DWP and JCP but fewer report a deep knowledge of the organisations. Only 29% know a fair amount or a lot about JCP while 34% know a fair amount or a lot about DWP. Figure 6 shows claimed knowledge of DWP is higher than of JCP, reflecting more widespread awareness. Overall awareness of DWP and JCP remains broadly the same as at wave 1.

Figure 6 Level of knowledge about DWP or JCP among the general population, waves 1 and 2

–	A lot	A fair amount	A little bit	Heard of it but nothing else	Not heard of it
Wave 2 JCP	9%	20%	33%	12%	26%*
Wave 1 JCP	9%	19%	31%	12%	27%
Wave 2 DWP	9%	25%*	34%	9%	23%
Wave 1 DWP	9%	25%	33%	8%	25%

Q12. Before today, how much, if anything, would you say you knew about…? Base: General population wave 1 n=5,002, wave 2 n=4,004. * Significant difference between knowledge of DWP and JCP.

As in wave 1, familiarity with each of the DWP brands is greatest among those who use them. DWP customers are more likely than the general population to report a deeper knowledge of DWP and JCP:

44% of DWP customers say they know at least a fair amount about DWP, compared to 34% of the general population
41% of DWP customers say they know a fair amount or a lot about JCP, compared to 29% of the general population
28% of DWP customers say they know a little, have only heard of DWP or know nothing about it, compared to 42% of the general population
30% of DWP customers say they know a little, have only heard of JCP or know nothing about it, compared to 45% of the general population

Figure 7 Level of knowledge of DWP among the general population and DWP customers

–	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
Knows a fair amount/a lot about DWP	34%	44%*
Heard of DWP but nothing else/knows a little	42%	28%*

Q12. Before today, how much, if anything, would you say you knew about DWP? Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n=1,706. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

Figure 8 Level of knowledge of JCP among the general population and DWP customers

–	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
Know a fair amount/a lot about JCP	29%	41%*
Heard of JCP but nothing else/knows a little	45%	30%*

Q12. Before today, how much, if anything, would you say you knew about JCP? Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n=1,706. * Significant difference between General population and DWP customers.

Not only are customers more likely than the general population to say they know a lot or a fair amount about DWP and JCP, their knowledge of these organisations has increased, while knowledge of DWP’s organisations remained stable among the general population. Customers are more likely than the general population to say they know a fair amount / a lot about JCP (41%) and DWP (44%), which has increased from wave 1 (37% for JCP and 40% for DWP). However, among the general population, levels of knowledge have remained stable: 34% say they know a fair amount / a lot about DWP (34% at wave 1) and 29% say they know a fair amount / a lot about JCP (28% at wave 1).

Understanding of the Jobcentre Plus remit

The general population continues to view JCP mainly as a resource for unemployed people seeking jobs rather than as a resource for the provision of welfare support or advice. For example, 84% of the general population recognises that JCP’s remit includes giving advice to help people into work (81% at wave 1), and 83% say that JCP matches unemployed people to jobs (80% at wave 1). This is compared to 50% who say that JCP assesses and processes claims for welfare benefits (47% at wave 1) and 57% who say it provides information and advice on welfare benefits (55% at wave 1).

There has been an increase in the understanding of the breadth of JCP’s remit since wave 1. Figure 9 shows that significantly more people at wave 2 correctly identify most tasks as being within JCP’s remit, compared to wave 1. Those tasks that have not seen a statistically significant increase in understanding are:^{[footnote 5]}

paying in- or out-of-work benefits to people of working age (47% at wave 1 and 49% at wave 2)
providing careers and jobs advice to people who want to change jobs (68% both at wave 1 and wave 2)
helping employers fill higher-skilled vacancies (61% both at wave 1 and wave 2)
paying benefits to people unable to work due to long-term health conditions or disability (45% both at wave 1 and wave 2)

Figure 9 Those who identify individual tasks as responsibility of JCP among the general population, waves 1 and 2

–	General population wave 1	General population wave 2
Advice to help people into work	81%	84%*
Matching unemployed people to jobs	80%	83%*
Helping unemployed people to prepare for work	79%	81%*
Supporting young people aged 16 to 24 into work	73%	76%*
Employment, training and advice to help people receiving benefits increase earnings	72%	74%*
Careers and jobs advice for people who want to change jobs	68%	68%
Help employers fill lower-skilled vacancies	68%	70%*
Help employers fill higher-skilled vacancies	61%	61%
Ensuring people meet the conditions of receiving their benefits	58%	62%*
Providing advice and information on welfare benefits	55%	57%*
Preventing and stopping fraudulent benefit claims	54%	57%*
Change of circumstances for people receiving state benefits	52%	55%*
Assessing and processing claims for welfare benefits	47%	50%*
Paying in- or out-of-work benefits to people of working age	47%	49%
Paying benefits to people unable to work due to long-term health condition /disability	45%	45%
Providing help with childcare costs for parents and carers claiming Universal Credit	35%	38%*

Q15. Which of the following, if any, do you think are responsibilities of Jobcentre Plus? Base: General population wave 1 n= 5,002, General population wave 2 n=4,004. * Significant differences between waves.

Consistent with higher levels of claimed knowledge of JCP as shown in Figure 10, DWP customers continue to be more likely than the general population to correctly identify tasks within JCP’s remit.

Specifically, while the general population and DWP customers are similarly likely to identify key tasks to help people out of work get into work, DWP customers are more likely than the general population to identify benefits-related tasks as part of JCP’s remit. For example, 70% of DWP customers compared to 62% of the general population identify “ensuring people meet the conditions of their benefits” as a JCP responsibility. Among other differences, DWP customers are also significantly more likely than the general population to identify “providing advice and information on welfare benefits” (64% of DWP customers say this compared to 57% of the general population), “preventing and stopping fraudulent claims” (64% among DWP customers, compared to 57% among the general population) and “processing changes of circumstances for people receiving state benefits” (64% among DWP customers, compared to 55% among the general population).

Figure 10 Those who identify individual tasks as the responsibility of JCP among the general population and DWP customers

–	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
Advice to help people into work	84%	84%
Matching unemployed people to jobs	83%	81%
Helping unemployed people to prepare for work	81%	83%
Supporting young people aged 16 to 24 into work	76%	77%
Employment, training and advice to help people receiving benefits increase earnings	74%	77%*
Careers and jobs advice for people who want to change jobs	68%	71%*
Help employers fill lower-skilled vacancies	70%	71%
Help employers fill higher-skilled vacancies	61%	65%*
Ensuring people meet the conditions of receiving their benefits	62%	70%*
Providing advice and information on welfare benefits	57%	64%*
Preventing and stopping fraudulent benefit claims	57%	64%*
Change of circumstances for people receiving state benefits	55%	64%*
Assessing and processing claims for welfare benefits	50%	60%*
Paying in- or out-of-work benefits to people of working age	49%	59%*
Paying benefits to people unable to work due to long-term health condition /disability	45%	55%
Providing help with childcare costs for parents and carers claiming Universal Credit	38%	51%*

Q15. Which of the following, if any, do you think are responsibilities of Jobcentre Plus? Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, DWP customer wave 2 n= 1,706. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

Consistent with an increase in claimed knowledge among DWP customers, knowledge of JCP’s remit has increased between waves among DWP customers across all but one (paying benefits due to ill health) of the tasks tested. However, “paying benefits to people who can’t work due to disability” has not increased. significantly.

Figure 11 Those who identify individual tasks as responsibility of JCP among DWP customers, waves 1 and 2

–	DWP customers wave 1	DWP customers wave 2
Advice to help people into work	78%	84%*
Help unemployed people prepare for work	78%	83%*
Matching unemployed people to jobs	77%	81%*
Supporting 16 to 24s into work	73%	77%*
Help people [on] benefits increase earnings	74%*	77%
Careers advice to help people change jobs	67%	71%*
Help employers fill lower-skilled vacancies	66%	71%*
Ensuring people meet conditions of benefits	64%	70%*
Help employers fill higher-skilled vacancies	62%	65%*
Information on welfare benefits	60%	64%*
Preventing fraudulent benefit claims	57%	64%*
Processing change of circumstances	59%	64%*
Processing claims for benefits	53%	60%*
Paying benefits to people of working age	53%	59%*
Paying benefits … due to ill health	52%	55%
Help with childcare costs for UC claimants	46%	51%*

Q15. Which of the following, if any, do you think are responsibilities of Jobcentre Plus? Base: DWP customers wave 1 n= 2,436, DWP customers wave 2 n= 1,706. *Significant differences between waves.

Question 9

Views of DWP

Accepted Answer

This chapter looks at the reputation of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Jobcentre Plus (JCP) among the general population and DWP customers. It also explores perceptions of how DWP and JCP deliver their services and challenges people think DWP and JCP may face.

Favourability towards DWP and JCP

When asked to describe how they would speak about DWP and JCP, overall sentiment is neutral. As Figure 12 shows, 42% of the general population would speak neutrally about DWP and JCP, consistent with wave 1 (where 40% spoke neutrally about DWP and 41% about JCP). Opinions are relatively similar between positive and negative views (between 16% and 21% would speak positively or negatively about either organisation).

As at wave 1, the general population is more likely to have an opinion at all of DWP than it is to have an opinion at all of JCP (14% don’t know how they would speak about DWP, compared with 17% who say this of JCP). This is consistent with lower levels of knowledge of JCP than DWP, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 12 General population overall sentiment towards DWP and JCP, waves 1 and 2

–	Speak highly if asked/without being asked	Critical if asked/without being asked	Neutral	Don’t know
Wave 2 JCP	20%*	16%	42%	17%*
Wave 1 JCP	20%*	17%	41%	16%*
Wave 2 DWP	21%	20%	42%	14%
Wave 1 DWP	21%	21%	40%	13%

Q16. Which phrase best describes the way you would speak about the following? ‘Prefer not to say’ and ‘None of these’ are not shown. Base: General population wave 1 n= 5,002, general population wave 2 n=4,004. *Significant difference between views of JCP and DWP.

Just over three in ten (32%) of DWP customers at wave 2 would speak highly about DWP, compared to 21% of the general population. A third (33%) of DWP customers would speak highly about JCP, compared to 20% of the general population.

Figure 13 Overall views of DWP and JCP, among general population and DWP customers

–	Speak highly if asked/without being asked	Critical if asked/without being asked	Neutral	Don’t know
JCP: DWP customers	33%	22%	36%	8%
JCP: General population	20%	16%	42%	17%
DWP: DWP customers	32%	25%	36%	6%
DWP: General population	21%	20%	42%	14%

Q16. Which phrase best describes the way you would speak about DWP / JCP? ‘Prefer not to say’ and ‘None of these’ not shown. Base: General population wave 2 n=4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n=1,706.

Views of DWP and JCP

People were presented with a list of attributes and asked which fit with their ideas or impressions of JCP.

People most commonly thought that both DWP and JCP lacked resources (DWP, 27%, JCP 29%). The other attributes most frequently associated with DWP are being professional (22%), being out of touch with customers (20%), being trustworthy (21%), being capable (21%), treating customers with respect and treating customers fairly (19%).

The most common attributes associated with JCP (after lacking resources) are being capable (21%), being professional in its approach (20%), treating customers fairly (19%), treating customers with respect (19%), and being trustworthy (19%).

Figure 14 Views of DWP and JCP among the general population

-	Views of DWP	Views of JCP
Does not have enough resources	27%	29%*
Professional in its approach	22%	20%*
Capable	21%	21%
Trustworthy	21%*	19%
Out of touch with its customers	20%*	16%
Treats customers with respect	19%	19%
Treats customers fairly	19%	19%
Serves the British public well	18%	17%
Carries out tasks inefficiently	17%*	14%
Is unhelpful to customers	15%*	12%
Open about how it makes decisions	14%	13%
Puts its customers first	11%	12%
Effective recruitment service	9%	18%*

Q17. Here is a list of things - both favourable and unfavourable - that have been said about DWP / JCP. Select each statement that fits your ideas or impressions of DWP / JCP. Base: General population wave 1 n=5,002. *Significant differences between DWP and JCP.

Most of the views tested have remained consistent across waves, with the exception of:

JCP “lacks resources”, which has increased from 25% at wave 1 to 29% at wave 2 (and similarly for DWP where 25% at wave 1 said that DWP lacked resources compared to 27% at wave 2)
JCP is “capable”, which has increased from 19% at wave 1 to 21% at wave 2
JCP “is unhelpful to customers”, which has decreased from 14% at wave 1 to 12% at wave 2
DWP “is trustworthy,” which has increased from 19% at wave 1 to 21% at wave 2

Figure 15 Views of DWP among the general population, waves 1 and 2

-	General population wave 1	General population wave 2
Does not have enough resources	25%	27%*
Professional in its approach	21%	22%
Out of touch with its customers	21%	20%
Capable	20%	21%
Treats customers with respect	19%	19%
Trustworthy	19%	21%*
Serves the British public well	19%	18%
Treats customers fairly	18%	19%
Carries out tasks inefficiently	16%	17%
Is unhelpful to customers	15%	15%
Open about how it makes decisions	13%	14%
Puts its customers first	12%	11%
Offers effective recruitment service	10%	9%
Don’t know	18%	19%

Q17. Here is a list of things - both favourable and unfavourable - that have been said about DWP. Select each statement that fits your ideas or impressions of DWP. Base: General population wave 1 n=5,002, general population wave 2 n=4,004. *Significant differences between waves.

Figure 16 Views of JCP among the general population, waves 1 and 2

-	General population wave 1	General population wave 2
Does not have enough resources	25%	29%*
Treats customers with respect	20%	19%
Capable	19%	21%*
Professional in its approach	19%	20%
Treats customers fairly	19%	19%
Offers effective recruitment service	19%	18%
Trustworthy	18%	19%
Out of touch with its customers	17%	16%
Serves the British public well	16%	17%
Carries out tasks inefficiently	15%	14%
Open about how it makes decisions	12%	13%
Is unhelpful to customers	14%*	12%
Puts its customers first	12%	12%
Don’t know	22%	22%

Q17. Here is a list of things - both favourable and unfavourable - that have been said about JCP. Select each statement that fits your ideas or impressions of JCP. Base: General population wave 1 n=5,002, General population wave 2 n=4,004. *Significant differences between waves.

Views of DWP customers

As observed at wave 1, the general population are less likely than DWP customers to express an opinion about DWP and JCP. When presented with statements about DWP and JCP, 19% of the general population say they don’t know which best reflects their ideas about DWP, and 22% say this about JCP. In comparison, only 6% of DWP customers are unsure about DWP, and 10% about JCP. This aligns with DWP customers being more likely than the general population to say they know a lot / a fair deal about DWP and JCP (see Figures 7 and 8).

Consistent with this, DWP customers are also more likely than the general population to associate both positive and negative attributes with DWP and JCP. For example, Figure 17 shows that 28% of DWP customers think DWP is professional in its approach compared to 22% of the general population. Figure 18 also shows that 27% of DWP customers think JCP is professional in its approach compared to 20% of the general population.

Regarding negative attributes, the differences between DWP customers and the general population are smaller, at 1 to 3 percentage points. For instance, 27% of the general population and 29% of DWP customers think DWP does not have enough resources, while 29% of both the general population and DWP customers think that JCP does not have enough resources.

Figure 17 Attributes identified with DWP among the general population and DWP customers

-	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
Professional in its approach	22%	28%*
Capable	21%	28%*
Treats customers with respect	19%	25%*
Trustworthy	21%	30%*
Serves the British public well	18%	24%*
Treats customers fairly	19%	25%*
Open about how it makes decisions	14%	19%*
Puts its customers first	11%	16%*
Effective recruitment service	9%	14%*
Does not have enough resources	27%	29%
Out of touch with its customers	20%	23%*
Carries out tasks inefficiently	17%	20%*
Is unhelpful to customers	15%	16%
Don’t know	19%*	6%

Q17. Here is a list of things - both favourable and unfavourable - that have been said about DWP. Select each statement that fits your ideas or impressions of DWP Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n=1,706. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

Figure 18 Attributes identified with JCP among the general population and DWP customers

-	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
Professional in its approach	20%	27%*
Capable	21%	27%*
Treats customers with respect	19%	25%*
Trustworthy	19%	27%*
Serves the British public well	17%	22%*
Treats customers fairly	19%	25%*
Open about how it makes decisions	13%	19%*
Puts its customers first	12%	17%*
Effective recruitment service	18%	22%*
Does not have enough resources	29%	29%
Out of touch with its customers	16%	18%*
Carries out tasks inefficiently	14%	18%*
Is unhelpful to customers	12%	14%*
Don’t know	22%*	10%

Q17. Here is a list of things - both favourable and unfavourable - that have been said about JCP. Select each statement that fits your ideas or impressions of JCP. Base: general population wave 2 n= 4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n=1,706. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

At wave 2, perceptions of DWP and JCP among customers are largely consistent with wave 1. This is despite a slight increase in awareness of DWP and UC, and in understanding of JCP’s remit. This might suggest a complex dynamic between knowledge and reputation. However, there are some differences in perceptions of attributes between waves:

at wave 2, 29% of DWP customers say that both DWP and JCP lacks resources, compared to 24% who said this about DWP at wave 1, and 25% who said this about JCP at wave 1
at wave 2, 30% of DWP customers say that DWP is trustworthy, compared to 26% who said this at wave 1
at wave 2, 27% of DWP customers say that JCP is capable, compared to 24% who said this at wave 1

Question 10

Trust in the Department for Work and Pensions

Accepted Answer

This chapter looks at trust in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) among the general population and DWP customers.

Trust in DWP actions

When asked to what extent they trust DWP to act across a range of behaviours, most of the general population continues to trust DWP to adhere to its values (these values were set out in the question wording). The general population is less likely to trust DWP to take its customers’ needs into account (60%) than to carry out functional behaviours such as acting consistently or doing what it says it will do (both 63%). Levels of trust haven’t changed since wave 1.

Figure 19 Would trust DWP to fulfil various customer service needs among the general population, waves 1 and 2

-	General population wave 1	General population wave 2
To be open in providing information about my enquiry or claim	65%	65%
To do what it says it will	62%	63%
To act consistently	61%	63%
To do its best for customers	61%	61%
To take its customers’ needs into account in how it provides services	59%	60%
To deliver a high-quality service	58%	60%

Q13. To what extent do you trust the Department for Work and Pensions to do each of the following… Please think about everything you believe, think or have experienced with the Department for Work and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus). Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, General population wave 1 n=5,002. * Significant differences between waves.

Customers are more likely than the general population to trust DWP to adhere to its values, reflecting their greater levels of knowledge and more positive attitudes towards DWP (Figure 20). Like the general population, they are most likely to trust DWP to do what it says it will (70% of DWP customers compared to 63% of the general population) and to act consistently (68% of DWP customers compared to 63% of the general population). Comparatively, they are less likely to trust DWP to deliver a high-quality service (67% of DWP customers compared to 60% of the general population), and to take customers’ needs into account (66% compared with 60% among the general population).

Figure 20 Would trust DWP to fulfil various customer service needs among the general population and DWP customers

-	DWP customer wave 2	General population wave 2
To be open in providing information about my enquiry or claim	71%*	65%
To do what it says it will	70%*	63%
To act consistently	68%*	63%
To do its best for customers	67%*	61%
To take its customers’ needs into account in how it provides services	66%*	60%
To deliver a high-quality service	67%*	60%

Q13. To what extent do you trust the Department for Work and Pensions to do each of the following… Please think about everything you believe, think or have experienced with the Department for Work and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus). Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, DWP customer wave 2 n= 1,706. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

Trust in types of support

The extent to which the general population trusts DWP to provide support to citizens varies depending on the action being undertaken. For instance:

60% (58% at wave 1) trust DWP to provide employment support for people on welfare benefits seeking work. This is not a significant increase
58% (a statistically significant increase compared to 55% at wave 1) trust DWP to accurately pay benefits people are entitled to
56% (a statistically significant increase compared to 53% at wave 1) trust DWP to apply sanctions accurately

However, fewer people trust DWP to focus on support centred around individual needs. For example:

46% of the general population trust DWP to help people develop their career potential (compared to 45% at wave 1). This is not a significant increase
54% trust DWP to help people develop new skills to progress at work (a statistically significant increase compared to 51% at wave 1)

Figure 21 Agree a fair amount / great deal that they trust DWP to provide different elements of support among the general population, waves 1 and 2

-	General population wave 1	General population wave 2
Employment support for people on welfare benefits seeking work	58%	60%
Pay benefits people are entitled to accurately	55%	58%*
Apply sanctions to customer’s benefits accurately	53%	56%*
Offer effective recruitment service to employers	53%	55%
Provide employment support to people with health conditions	52%	54%
Help people develop new skills to progress in work	51%	54%*
Support people claiming in-work benefits to earn more	50%	54%*
Provide effective employment support to people not on benefits	54%	53%
Help people to reach their full career potential	45%	46%

Q18. To what extent do you trust the Department for Work and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus) to… Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, General population wave 1 n=5,002. * Significant difference between waves.

Figure 22 Agree a fair amount / great deal that they trust DWP to provide different elements of support among the general population and DWP customers

-	General population wave 2	DWP customer wave 2
Employment support for people on welfare benefits seeking work	60%	67%*
Pay benefits people are entitled to accurately	58%	68%*
Apply sanctions to customer’s benefits accurately	56%	67%*
Offer effective recruitment service to employers	55%	62%*
Provide employment support to people with health conditions	54%	61%*
Help people develop new skills to progress in work	54%	62%*
Support people claiming in-work benefits to earn more	54%	64%*
Provide effective employment support to people not on benefits	53%	61%*
Help people to reach their full career potential	46%	56%*

Q18. To what extent do you trust the Department for Work and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus) to… Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n=1,706. * Significant difference between General population and DWP customers.

Figure 24 shows that DWP customers are also more likely than the general population to trust DWP (including JCP) to deliver across a range of services. They are more likely than the general population to trust DWP to deliver key welfare services, such as paying benefits accurately (68% among DWP customers compared to 58% of the general population) and applying sanctions accurately (67% of DWP customers compared to 56% of the general population).

Figure 23 Agree a fair amount / great deal that they trust DWP a great deal / fair amount to deliver types of service, among the general population and DWP customers

-	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
Employment support for people on welfare benefits seeking work	60%	67%
Pay benefits people are entitled to accurately	58%	68%*
Apply sanctions to customer’s benefits accurately if do not do something agreed to	56%	67%*
Provide appropriate employment support to people with health conditions or disabilities	54%	61%
Help people develop new skills to progress in work	54%	62%*
Support people on in-work benefits so they no longer need to claim	54%	64%
Offer effective recruitment service to employers	55%	62%*
Provide effective employment support to people not on benefits who are seeking work	53%	61%*
Help people to reach their full career potential	46%	56%*

Q18. To what extent do you trust the Department for Work and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus) to […] Base: General population wave 2 n=4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n=1,706. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

Question 11

Accessing support

Accepted Answer

This chapter looks at sources of support the general population and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) customers would use to find a job, as well as confidence in receiving support from DWP and the Jobcentre Plus (JCP), and barriers to receiving this.

Sources of information on jobs

When looking at sources of support for finding a job, the general population (42%) and DWP customers (44%) are most likely to select online jobs and careers boards, followed by recruitment agencies (32% of the general population would do this compared to 34% of DWP customers). This is similar to wave 1, where 39% of the general population and 41% of DWP customers selected online jobs and careers boards, and 32% of general population and 34% of DWP customers selected recruitment agencies.

Around 3 in 10 (29%) of the general population would use JCP as a source of information on finding a job or progressing in work. This is a statistically significant decrease among the general population from wave 1 (wave 1, 32%). Among DWP customers, 33% would use JCP for this purpose (in line with wave 1).

Figure 24 Sources would use for information on finding a job or progressing in work among the general population and DWP customers

-	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
Online job and careers boards such as Indeed or TotalJobs	42%	44%
Online research inc. social media	33%	35%
Recruitment agencies	32%	34%
My local Jobcentre Plus	29%	33%*
GOV.UK	29%	36%*
My employer	18%	20%
National Careers Service	14%	18%*
Other employers	13%	13%
Department for Work and Pensions	10%	15%*
Local council	10%	13%*
Trade union/association or professional body	8%	10%*
School, college or university careers support	9%	11%*
A charity	6%	8%

Q11. Which, if any, of these sources would you use for advice and information on finding a job or helping you to work more hours or get a better paid job? Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n= 1,706. * Significant difference between General population and DWP customers.

Confidence in receiving support from DWP

While most customers feel they would receive helpful support from DWP / JCP, one in five (21%) are not confident that they would receive this from DWP, and 21% for JCP. This finding is consistent across waves 1 and 2, indicating that barriers to accessing services confidently persist.

DWP customers are slightly more likely to feel confident in DWP than JCP: 57% of DWP customers are very or fairly confident DWP would provide them with helpful support, compared to 54% who said this about JCP.

Figure 25 Confidence that DWP / JCP would provide helpful support among DWP customers, waves 1 and 2

-	Very confident	Fairly confident	Neither confident nor unconfident	Not very confident	Not at all confident	Don’t know
DWP wave 1	22%	37%	20%	11%	6%	4%
DWP wave 2	23%	34%	19%	12%	8%	3%
JCP wave 1	20%	34%	19%	12%	7%	7%
JCP wave 2	21%	33%	18%	13%	8%	7%

Q23. How confident, if at all, would you feel that each of the following (DWP / JCP) could provide you with helpful support if you needed it? Base: DWP customers wave 1 n=2,436; DWP customers wave 2 n = 1,706.

Barriers to confidence in receiving support from DWP

Among both customers and the general population who are not confident that DWP or JCP would provide helpful support, there are several key barriers to confidence. These are:

previous negative experience
reputation for helping people
a perceived unwelcoming environment
lack of capability to provide useful help

These findings are consistent with those from wave 1.

Among those who are not confident that DWP would provide them with helpful support:

31% of DWP customers say this is because they have previously had a bad experience with the Department, compared with 21% of the general population
19% of DWP customers say this is because they have heard from others that DWP is not helpful, compared with 21% of the general population who say this
25% of DWP customers say this is because they thought the JCP is an unwelcoming environment compared with 22% of the general population who say this
26% of DWP customers say this is because they think JCP is not capable of providing useful help, compared to 20% of the general population

Figure 26 Barriers to confidence in being provided with helpful support from DWP / JCP among the general population and DWP customers

-	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
Never had to ask for [this] support before	22%	13%
JCP office is unwelcoming environment	22%	25%
Heard … not helpful from others	21%	19%
Had a bad experience before	21%	31%
They’re [not] capable of providing help	20%	26%
Uncomfortable going to JCP	18%*	17%
Don’t trust … to give accurate information	17%	23%
Not for people like me	16%	11%
Do not think the staff would help me	14%	16%
Don’t know what information I would need	13%	11%
Do not think I would be treated fairly	12%*	16%
JCP is only for people claiming benefits	9%	8%
Bad experience with other … organisation	7%*	9%
Don’t know	8%	5%

Q24. You said that you would not feel confident that you would be provided with helpful support from Base: General population who would not feel confident that they would receive helpful support from DWP / JCP wave 2 n=2,032, DWP customers wave 2 n=834. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

Perceptions of DWP staff

DWP customers are more likely to believe DWP would treat them with respect than they are to think DWP would understand their needs or be knowledgeable about their issues.

As shown in Figure 26, just over 7 in 10 (71%) say DWP treats them with respect (increasing from 68% at wave 1), and a similar proportion (70%) agree DWP dealt with their requests professionally (compared with 69% at wave 1). Customers are less likely to agree that DWP staff are knowledgeable about their needs (64% compared to 62% at wave 1) or understand their needs (59%, consistent with wave 1).

Figure 27 Agree DWP staff provide different forms of customer service among DWP customers, waves 1 and 2

-	DWP customers wave 1	DWP customers wave 2
They treat me with respect	68%	71%
My requests are handled professionally	69%	70%
They provide accurate information	67%	69%
They are friendly and approachable	67%	67%
They do what they say they will	64%	65%
They are knowledgeable about my issue/s	62%	64%
They understand my needs	59%	59%

Q22. Thinking about the Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus and Universal Credit staff you have dealt with, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Base: DWP customers wave 1 n=2,436, wave 2 n=1,706.

Like DWP customers, the general population are more likely to think DWP would behave professionally than think that DWP would understand their needs. Figure 29 shows that one in three (67%) non-DWP customers think DWP staff would be fairly or very likely to provide accurate information, in contrast to 52% who think DWP would understand their needs.

Figure 28 Agree JCP is very / fairly likely to do the following […], among non-DWP customers, waves 1 and 2

-	Non-DWP customers wave 2	Non-DWP customers wave 1
Provide accurate information	67%	65%
Handle your request professionally	65%	64%
Treat you with respect	66%*	63%
Understand your needs	52%	51%

Q22A. If you were to contact Jobcentre Plus, how likely or unlikely do you think they would be to…? Base: All those who have not used DWP or JCP in last year, wave 1 n=2,566, wave 2 n= 2,298. * Significant differences between waves.

Question 12

DWP support for key groups

Accepted Answer

This chapter looks at perceptions of the amount of support provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to key groups who may have specific needs.

Amount of support provided

The questionnaire asked whether people felt DWP provided too much, too little or about the right amount of support to specific groups.

Figure 30 shows that DWP is most frequently perceived by the general population as providing the right amount of support to those of:

working age and who are out of work, to help get them back into work (36%)
State Pension age (33%)
working age who are not working or working few hours, through benefits, (33%)
and to help people in employment increase their earnings, through careers advice (33%)

The general population is most likely to think DWP is not providing enough support to those:

not in work or working few hours due to disability or health conditions (36%)
over 50 and not in work (36%)

However, a notable proportion of the general population say they do not know whether DWP provides too much, too little or about the right amount of support (ranging from 27% to 39% for different groups). This suggests a lack of knowledge about the support provided and / or needed by these groups.

Figure 29 Perceptions of amount of support provided by DWP to people in specific groups, among the general population

-	Too much support	About the right amount of support	Not enough support	Don’t know
Working age and out of work, to help get back into work	5%	36%	31%	27%
State Pension Age or older	5%	33%	32%	29%
Working age not working/ working few hours, through benefits	10%	33%	26%	31%
Working through careers advice to help increase earnings	5%	33%	27%	35%
Working few hours, to increase their hours	5%	32%	28%	35%
Young people aged 16-24 who are NEET	6%	29%	33%	31%
Out of work/working few hours due to disability/ill health	7%	30%	36%	27%
Single parents	7%	28%	29%	35%
Over 50 and not in work	5%	25%	36%	33%
In higher skilled roles who want to change jobs	7%	28%	26%	39%

Q25. Do you think the Department for Work and Pensions provides too much, the right amount or not enough support for each of these groups? Base: General population wave 2 n= 4,004.

Figure 30 shows that there has been a small significant increase in the proportion of the general population who believe DWP does not provide sufficient support to young people aged 16 to 24 who are NEET (30% at wave 1, 33% at wave 2), those unable to work due to disability (34% at wave 1, 36% at wave 2), and single parents (27% at wave 1, 29% at wave 2).

This is in the context of three in four (76%) of the general population believing that it is the responsibility of JCP to support 16 to 24s who are NEET (see Figure 9). This has seen a statistically significant increase from 73% at wave 1.

Figure 30 Not enough support given to young people, those out of work due to disability and single parents among the general population, waves 1 and 2

-	General population wave 1	General population wave 2
Young people aged 16-24 who are NEET	30%	33%*
Out of work/working few hours due to health/disability	34%	36%*
Single parents	27%	29%*

Q25. Do you think the Department for Work and Pensions provides too much, the right amount, or not enough support for each of these groups? Base: General population wave 1 n=5,002, General population wave 2 n=4,004. * Significant differences between waves.

In line with wave 1, people tend to think their own demographic group does not receive enough support from DWP. For example, older, non-working individuals think there is not enough support for people like themselves, with 44% of those aged 50 to 66 who are not in work stating that DWP does not provide enough support for those over 50 out of work (compared to 36% of the general population who say this about over 50s who are out of work). Similarly, 43% of those aged 55 to 64 think that DWP does not provide enough support for people over 50 who are out of work.

The perception of inadequate support is most notable among those with health issues, with 46% of individuals with a self-reported, life-limiting health condition believing support is insufficient for people out of work due to disability. This rises to 51% for those whose condition limits them a lot, compared to 36% of the general population who think not enough support is provided to those with health issues.

Question 13

Wave two specific questions: views of Personal Independence Payment and speed versus accuracy of payments

Accepted Answer

This chapter looks at two questions added specifically for wave 2: awareness and knowledge of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and the trade-off between accuracy and speed when it comes to paying benefits.

Knowledge of PIP

Among the general population, around 1 in 4 (26%) say they know a fair amount or a lot about PIP. This is significantly higher among DWP customers, where 42% know a fair amount or a lot. However, 58% of DWP customers say they know a little bit, have only heard of it, have not heard of it, or do not know.

Figure 31 Amount known about PIP among the general population and DWP customers

-	General population wave 1	General population wave 2
To be open in providing information about my enquiry or claim	65%	65%
To do what it says it will	62%	63%
To act consistently	61%	63%
To do its best for customers	61%	61%
To take its customers’ needs into account in how it provides services	59%	60%
To deliver a high-quality service	58%	60%

Q42. Before today, how much, if anything, would you say you knew about Personal Independence Payment (PIP), provided by DWP? Base: General population wave 2 n=4,004, DWP customers wave 2 n=1,706. * Significant difference between General population and DWP customers.

Awareness of PIP among those with disabilities or health conditions

Among the general population, those who self-identify as having a disability or long-term health condition show higher awareness of PIP. Within this sub-group, 92% have heard of PIP, compared to 85% across the general population overall. Similarly, while 42% of the general population say they had not heard of PIP or heard of it but nothing else, this figure is 31% among those with a disability or long-term health condition.

Figure 32 Amount known about PIP among people with disabilities or long-term health conditions

-	General population wave 2	Long-term health condition or disability wave 2
Heard of but knows nothing else/knows a little bit/a fair amount/a lot	85%	92%
Knows a little bit/a fair amount	45%	53%
Knows a little bit/a fair amount/a lot	53%	66%
Not heard of/heard of but knows nothing else	42%	31%

Q42. Before today, how much, if anything, would you say you knew about Personal Independence Payment (PIP), provided by DWP? Base: Has disability or long-term health condition wave 2 n=1, 293.

Perceptions and priorities regarding benefit claim processes

The general population and DWP customers prioritise accurate benefit payments over speed of payment, highlighting an emphasis on the correct use of public funds within the social security system. The general population and DWP customers (55% and 59% respectively) are more likely to think that DWP should prioritise paying claimants accurately, even if this delays payments. In comparison, 26% of the general population and 32% of DWP customers think that DWP should prioritise paying claimants quickly, even if that increases the risk of inaccuracies.

Figure 33 Views on the balance between accuracy and speed among the general population and DWP customers

-	General population wave 2	DWP customers wave 2
DWP should prioritise paying claimants the correct amount, even if it may result in payment delays	55%	59%*
DWP should prioritise paying claimants quickly, even if it increases the risk of inaccuracies in payment amounts	26%	32%*
Don’t know	19%	9%

Q41. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) aims to pay claimants the right amount of benefits at the right time. Which statement best reflects your view on the balance between accuracy and speed? Base: General population wave 2 n=4,004, DWP customer wave 2 n=1,706. * Significant differences between General population and DWP customers.

Question 14

Conclusions

Accepted Answer

This second wave of research offers valuable insights into public perceptions of DWP and JCP, revealing a landscape largely unchanged since wave 1 of the survey: perceptions have remained relatively stable. While there has been a slight improvement in public understanding of JCP’s remit, key measures of trust and favourability towards both organisations have not seen a corresponding increase.

There has been a slight improvement in understanding of the role of JCP, and the general population and customers continue to see JCP as primarily focused on supporting the unemployed, rather than broader career development and skills training.

Among those in the general population who report lacking confidence that DWP would provide them with helpful support, previous negative experience and a negative reputation of DWP continue to be key barriers to confidence.

While specific groups are typically most likely to think that DWP does not provide enough support for people like themselves, the general population is most likely to think that some groups are particularly underserved. Specifically, there has been a slight increase in the view that DWP does not provide enough support for young people aged 16-24 who are NEET, single parents and people who are unable to work due to long-term health conditions or a disability. Further, at wave 2, the general population is most likely to think that DWP does not provide enough support for people over 50 who are out of work (as well as to those who can’t work due to long term conditions).

However, there continues to be substantial proportions among the general population who consider the levels of support provided are ‘about right’ across all groups. Around a third of people say they do not know, suggesting a lack of knowledge about the support DWP provides to these groups.

In wave 2, DWP customers are defined slightly differently than in wave 1 due to the removal of questions regarding UC. In wave 1, DWP customers also included individuals who only used UC, representing 6% of wave 1 customers. There are, however, no statistically significant differences in key indicators between users who only used UC and those who used UC alongside DWP or JCP. ↩
Participants were asked: Which, if any, of the following best describes your experience with each of these in the last year? (a) Department for Work and Pensions, (b) Jobcentre Plus. For each, participants could select one answer from: (i) I have used this for myself or someone in my family or household, (ii) I have helped someone else use this, such as a friend or relative, (iii) I have used this as an employer or part of my business (such as to fill a vacancy or help one of my employees) [for (a) only], (iv) I have used this in a professional capacity or as a volunteer with an organisation, such as to help someone get benefits advice, (v) None of these, I have not used this at all in the last year, (vi) Don’t know, (vii) Prefer not to say. ↩
The response ‘I have used this as an employer or part of my businesses (such as to fill a vacancy or help one of my employees)’ was only shown to participants when asking about their use of DWP. ↩
The answer response, ‘Used this as an employer or part of my business’ was only shown to participants when asked about DWP. ↩
All increases from wave 1 to wave 2 are significant except the increase for paying in- or out-of-work benefits to people of working age, which is not a significant increase. There is no change in the proportions of the general population identifying providing careers and jobs advice to people who want to change jobs, helping employers fill higher-skilled vacancies, and paying benefits to people unable to work due to long-term health conditions or disability. ↩

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