Official Statistics

DWP Complaints Statistics to March 2026

Published 30 June 2026

1. Main Stories

For quarter ending March 2026 (January 2026 to March 2026):

• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) received 8,590 complaints, a 29% increase from quarter ending March 2025

• Universal Credit received 3,985 complaints, a 41% increase from quarter ending March 2025

• DWP closed 6,950 complaints, a 16% increase from quarter ending March 2025 – “You’ve got it wrong” and “You take too long” are the most common reasons for closed complaints

• 4 out of 10 closed complaints were upheld or partly upheld by DWP

• Universal Credit and Disability Services had the lowest rates of complaints being upheld, with around 3 out of 10 closed complaints upheld or partly upheld

• Retirement Services had the highest rate of complaints being upheld, with around 7 out of 10 closed complaints upheld or partly upheld

2. What you need to know

DWP operates a single-tier complaints service, which focuses on early resolution.

A customer can make a complaint if they are unhappy with the service provided by DWP, for example if:

• mistakes have been made
• there were unreasonable delays
• they feel they have been treated poorly
• they haven’t been kept informed

A complaint is defined as any expression of dissatisfaction about the service provided which is not resolved by operational staff as normal business.

DWP will not investigate complaints:

• about government policy or law
• that have already been investigated or are currently being investigated by the Independent Case Examiner or the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
• that are, or have been, subject to legal proceedings, including legal settlements

If a complainant is unhappy with the final response from DWP, they can ask the Independent Case Examiner (ICE), to investigate their complaint.

If a complainant doesn’t agree with the response from ICE, they can ask their MP (or any other MP) to send their complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Further detail including a summary of the complaints journey is given in the background information and methodology note.

Published tables and data

A comprehensive set of detailed tables are available as part of this publication. The tables are referenced throughout this report, with time series data going back to quarter ending September 2020.

Quarter ending September 2020 only includes data from the month September 2020 as the Department moved to a single-tier complaints system as well as a new IT system in July 2020 meaning information recorded prior to this point may be unavailable or inconsistent. As such, we only have robust complaints data from September 2020.

3. Received Complaints

A received complaint is any complaint sent to the Department via official channels.

There were 8,590 complaints received by DWP in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 1: Number of complaints received by DWP per quarter, quarters ending March 2024 to March 2026

DWP received 8,590 complaints quarter ending March 2026. This is a 12% increase from quarter ending December 2025, and an increase of 29% from quarter ending March 2025. The number of complaints about DWP services represent less than 1% of DWP’s customer base.

There were fewer complaints received for the quarters April 2024 to June 2024 and July 2024 to September 2024 in part due to the general election period.

More information on the reason for a complaint can be found in section 5 - reasons for complaints.

See data tables - tab 1 for full data.

Received complaints by DWP business area

DWP has 6 business areas which contain different DWP benefits. These business areas are:

• Retirement Services
• Universal Credit (UC)
• Working Age (excluding UC)
• Disability Services
• Child Maintenance Service
• Counter Fraud Compliance and Debt (CFCD)

More information on the individual business areas can be found in the background information and methodology note.

Universal Credit received 3,985 complaints in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 2: Number of complaints received by DWP business area per quarter, quarters ending March 2024 to March 2026

There are a range of different factors that may lead to a change in the number of complaints received. Factors such as increases in the caseload of a benefit (though you do not need to be in receipt of a DWP benefit to complain); changes to the composition of those caseloads; operational changes and external factors (for example, during an election period).

For quarter ending March 2026, Universal Credit received 3,985 complaints. This is a 4% increase from quarter ending December 2025, and a 41% increase from the number of complaints received in quarter ending March 2025.

In February 2026 there were 8.3 million people on Universal Credit, up from 7.5 million people on Universal Credit in February 2025. For more information on the number of people on Universal Credit, please see Universal Credit statistics.

Disability Services received 1,595 complaints in quarter ending March 2026. This is a 28% increase from quarter ending December 2025, and a 62% increase from quarter ending March 2025.

Retirement Services received 850 complaints in quarter ending March 2026. This is a 9% increase from quarter ending December 2025, and a 23% decrease from the number of complaints received in quarter ending March 2025.

See data tables - tab 1 for full data.

4. Closed Complaints

A closed complaint is a complaint that has been investigated by a DWP Complaint Resolution Manager (CRM) and a conclusion reached.

There were 6,950 complaints closed by DWP in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 3: Number of complaints closed by DWP per quarter, quarters ending March 2024 to March 2026

DWP closed 6,950 complaints quarter ending March 2026. This is an increase of 6% from quarter ending December 2025, and an increase of 16% from quarter ending March 2025.

The number of complaints closed are driven by patterns in the number of complaints received.

See data tables - tab 2 for full data.

Closed complaints by DWP business area

Universal Credit closed 2,730 complaints in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 4: Number of complaints closed by DWP business area per quarter, quarters ending March 2024 to March 2026

For quarter ending March 2026, Universal Credit closed 2,730 complaints. This is down 1% from quarter ending December 2025, and up 21% from quarter ending March 2025.

See data tables - tab 2 for full data.

5. Reasons for complaints

When a complaint is received, DWP staff assign one or more root causes to the complaint to describe the subject or subjects of the complaint. Root causes for a complaint are allocated at receipt but are only finalised when the complaint is closed. This is because the subject of a complaint can change as it is progressed and more information is gathered.

Parent texts are broader categories that are used to group root causes together. Where a complaint has more than one root cause attached, each relevant parent text is assigned. If more than one root cause is within the same parent text, it is counted once.

It is important to note that counts of parent texts are not a count of complaints as a complaint can have more than one parent text category.

More information on parent text categories can be found in the background information and methodology note.

‘You’ve got it wrong’ was the most common reason for a complaint in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 5: Count of parent text for closed complaints per quarter, quarters ending March 2024 to March 2026

For quarter ending March 2026, the most common reason for a complaint was ‘You’ve got it wrong’ with 3,795 occurrences, increasing 5% from quarter ending December 2025, and an increase of 21% from quarter ending March 2025.

The second most common reason for a complaint was ‘You take too long’ with 3,270 occurrences, increasing 13% from quarter ending December 2025 and increasing 16% from quarter ending March 2025.

All parent text reasons saw an increase from quarter ending March 2025 to quarter ending March 2026 except for ‘I have to contact a number of agencies to tell them the same thing’ and ‘I can’t access the system’, which decreased by 10% and 1% respectively.

‘You’ve got it wrong’ was the most common reason for a complaint for Child Maintenance Service, Universal Credit and Counter Fraud Compliance and Debt in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 6: Proportion of parent text for closed complaints by business area for quarter ending March 2026

For quarter ending March 2026, ‘You’ve got it wrong’ was the most common reason for a closed complaint for Child Maintenance Service (43%), Universal Credit (36%) and Counter Fraud Compliance and Debt (31%).

‘You take too long’ was the most common reason for a closed complaint for the business areas Disability Services (40%), Retirement Services (39%) and Working Age (excluding UC) (28%).

See data tables - tab 3 for full data.

6. Complaint Outcomes

When a complaint is closed by a CRM there are 3 possible outcomes:

• upheld - the CRM has investigated the complaint and agrees that the service provided in each issue the complainant has raised was below the standard expected and redress is appropriate

• partly upheld - a complainant has raised more than one issue, the CRM has investigated and agrees that a poor service was provided in some, but not all, of the issues the complainant raised and applies redress to the issues upheld

• not upheld - the CRM has investigated the complaint and has decided that DWP did not provide a service below the standards that they expect

4 out of 10 closed complaints were upheld or partly upheld by DWP in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 7: Number of complaints closed and complaints upheld or partly upheld by DWP per quarter, quarters ending March 2024 to March 2026

In quarter ending March 2026, 41% of complaints closed were upheld or partly upheld. This is a 5 percentage point decrease from the proportion of closed complaints upheld in the quarter ending March 2025 (46%).

See data tables - tabs 4 and 5 for full data.

Complaint outcomes by DWP business area

Around 3 out of 10 closed complaints for Universal Credit and Disability Services were upheld or partly upheld in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 8: Proportion of closed complaints upheld or partly upheld by business area per quarter, quarters ending March 2024 to March 2026

For the quarter ending March 2026, of the 6 DWP business areas, Disability Services and Universal Credit had the lowest proportion of closed complaints upheld or partly upheld, with 33% of closed complaints upheld or partly upheld. This is a 2 percentage point decrease from the quarter ending March 2025 (35%) for Universal Credit, and a 4 percentage point decrease for Disability Services from the quarter ending March 2025 (37%).

Retirement Services had the highest proportion of closed complaints upheld or partly upheld, with 69% of closed complaints upheld or partly upheld. This is a 4 percentage point decrease from the quarter ending March 2025 (73%).

See data tables - tabs 4 and 5 for full data.

7. Independent Case Examiner

The Office of the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) provides an impartial review service for customers of DWP who remain dissatisfied having concluded DWP’s complaint process. ICE assesses new complaints (received) to determine eligibility and suitability (accepted) for investigation.

To access the service, complaints must concern maladministration, for example, service failure or delay, have been through DWP’s complaint process with customers signposted to ICE in the final response they receive from the relevant DWP business being complained about, within the past 6 months.

Complaints received about DWP by ICE

ICE received 2,835 complaints about DWP in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 9: Number of complaints received by ICE per quarter, quarters ending March 2024 to March 2026

For quarter ending March 2026, ICE received 2,835 complaints. This is down 2% from quarter ending December 2025, and an increase of 36% from quarter ending March 2025.

Complaints received by ICE include early approaches. Early approaches are contacts from customers who have approached ICE before they have completed DWP’s own complaint process and received a final response. ICE can only accept a complaint if a final response has been issued from DWP.

See data tables - tab 6 for full data.

Complaints accepted for investigation about DWP by ICE

ICE accepted 906 complaints for investigation in quarter ending March 2026

Figure 10: Number of complaints accepted by ICE per quarter, quarters ending March 2024 to March 2026

For quarter ending March 2026, ICE accepted 906 complaints. This has remained stable from quarter ending December 2025, with an increase of 47% from quarter ending March 2025.

See data tables - tab 7 for full data.

8. About these statistics

Official Statistics in Development

Official Statistics in Development are Official Statistics that are undergoing a development; they may be new or existing statistics, and will be tested with users, in line with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. DWP will seek user feedback to inform the ongoing development of the statistics to enhance their public value.

These statistics are designated as Official Statistics in Development because this is a new publication. We welcome user comments on these statistics. Contact us at complaints.statistics@dwp.gov.uk.

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

Where to find out more

Further outputs and data tables from analysis, alongside our background information and methodology note are available on the DWP Complaints web page.

Related Statistics

DWP complaints: Annual reports by the Independent Case Examiner which explains the Independent Case Examiner’s work on the complaints it receives.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman publishes annual data on the number of complaints they receive about DWP and the decisions they make on these complaints.

DWP Customer Experience Survey is a report that provides an overview of benefit customers’ satisfaction and experience of the service they received from DWP.

Rounding

Figures for DWP have been rounded to the nearest 5. Figures may not sum due to rounding. Percentages are calculated using numbers prior to rounding and rounded to the nearest whole percentage point.

Figures for ICE have not been subject to rounding.

Contact information

Contact the DWP publication team by email: complaints.statistics@DWP.GOV.UK

For media enquiries contact the DWP Press Office.

Feedback is welcome.

ISBN: 978-1-80786-008-0

The next edition will be in released in September 2026.