Research and analysis

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

Published 26 February 2026

Overview

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). Fieldwork was carried out between 22 May and 9 June 2025.

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

Research context

While DWP has evidence on customer views of it services, there is less insight into views of the wider population and perceptions of DWP brand as a whole. This survey fills this gap and is the second wave of tracking opinions among the general public and DWP customers.

Background and objectives

The objectives of this research are to understand:

• how DWP is seen by the general public
• how perceptions vary between the general public and DWP customers
• the factors that influence these perceptions

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

The findings from this study provide DWP with insight into perceptions of the Department among the general population and DWP customers^{[footnote 1]}.

Key findings

• Awareness of UC has increased slightly since wave 1 and continues to be more widespread than awareness of DWP and JCP.
• Although awareness of DWP, UC and JCP is relatively high among the general population, most people do not have an in-depth understanding of each brand, including the remit and responsibilities of DWP.
• DWP customers have a more in-depth understanding of DWP brands than the general population.
• Among both the general population and DWP customers, knowledge of JCP’s remit has increased slightly since wave 1.
• Levels of trust in the DWP have remained stable since wave 1 and are higher among DWP customers than among the general population.
• Among members of the general population who are not confident that DWP will provide them with helpful support, key reasons are past negative experiences or concerns about DWP’s reputation for helping people.
• Around a quarter to a third of people think that DWP provides about the right amount of support to specific groups. There has been a slight increase in the proportion of people who think that DWP does not provide enough support to people with long-term health conditions or disabilities, single parents and young people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training.
• 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 DWP to prioritise paying benefits accurately rather than quickly.

Methodology

The research for wave 2 was carried out through 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. Fieldwork was carried out between 22 May and 9 June 2025.

The sample size 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 at wave 2.

All findings reported are significant at the 95% confidence interval.

Questionnaire

The questionnaire covered:

• awareness of DWP and JCP
• knowledge and understanding of the responsibilities and remit of DWP and JCP
• perceptions of DWP and JCP, such as how well they deliver services and 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 services provided by DWP staff
• awareness of PIP
• perceptions and priorities regarding benefit claim processes

Findings explained

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 8 in 10 (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: 1 in 3 (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 core 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 to 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 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.

1. DWP customers are those who report having used DWP or JCP for themselves or someone else in the last year. ↩