DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
e-mail:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
Our Ref: FOI2019/25488
07 August 2019
Dear John Garbett,
Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FoI) request received on 9 July. You asked:
I am interested to know the following:
1.How many people are involved in the management and administration of the universal credit
service? This includes people involved in the processing of applications to ongoing
administration.
2.What is the annual employment cost – both salaries + employer’s NIC for the above?
3.What is the total cost of buildings that relate to 1 above. The total cost should include annual
rental and maintenance cost where staff are located in their employment to administer
universal credit.
4.What is the annual service cost for the administration of universal credit. This cost involves
the IT software costs – for al software licences paid for by the Dept of Work and Pensions that
relate to supporting universal credit. Software costs include the software used by the Dept of
Work and Pensions to support universal credit and other licences such as Microsoft Windows
and or Office / 365, and any other software licences used by the Dept to support staff
managing and administering universal credit.
In answering the above questions, please focus on the costs to run and administer universal
credit only. I am not interested in the costs of running and managing the state pension
scheme.
DWP Response:
I can confirm that the Department holds this information. However, the information is exempt
under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act because the information is reasonably
accessible to you, as it is already in the public domain.
To be helpful we have provided the link to the information for questions 1- 3 below:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/
file/812722/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-2019.pdf
4. The annual service costs for Universal Credit for 19/20 are £2.214m.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me quoting the reference number
above.
Yours sincerely,
DWP Central FoI Team
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act
If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing
freedom-of-information-
xxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team, Caxton House, Tothil Street, SW1H 9NA. Any
review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information
Commissioner’s Office for a decision. General y, the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have
exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
Web:
ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745