Background
The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) provides face-to-face support to its customers through its extensive network of jobcentres. It has around 640 jobcentres, located across Great Britain.
DWP has also started to provide face-to-face support in other innovative ways as it develops the new Jobs and Careers Service. This includes providing support through other facilities, such as mobile jobcentres, and by working more closely with other local services.
DWP faces important decisions about the future of its jobcentre estate as it seeks to make the estate more efficient and sustainable. For example, the estate is completely leasehold and many leases are due to expire in 2028.
Scope
This study will look at whether DWP has an effective and efficient approach to meeting the need for face-to-face engagement with its customers through jobcentres and other facilities. We will examine whether:
- DWP has a good understanding of its need for face-to-face engagement with customers
- DWP is making efficient and effective use of its jobcentre capacity and other facilities for face-toface engagement
- DWP’s provision for face-to-face engagement is resilient to respond to changes in need
NAO team
Director: Laura Brackwell
Audit Manager: Mark Parrett