DWP Central Freedom of
Information Team
Caxton House
6-12 Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA
Mark Abraham
freedom-of-information-
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
xxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
DWP Website
Our Ref: FOI2021/41540
8 June 2021
Dear Mark Abraham,
Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FoI) request received on 24 May. You wrote:
“How many INITIAL payments of a Debt Management plan have been suspended?
There are contradictory reports about this from the DWP. Staff say it isn't possible in
practice, and other supervisory and managerial staff say it does happen. If it does, how
many are there, and in what circumstances? Are these particular Debt Management
plans, paying back overpaid tax credits via universal credit deductions, or could it be in
respect of overpayments, court fines, HMRC activity.
I'm trying to find concrete evidence that an INITIAL repayment of a debt management
plan has ever happened. If the DWP through Will Quince the Under-Secretary of State
for Welfare Delivery, where are the facts that prove that this has happened?”
DWP Response
Whilst the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may hold the information relating to
your request it is unclear as to the exact information you require.
You may wish to submit a revised request detailing the exact period for which you require
details of the Debt Management Plans (DMP) currently held on our system. DWP’s Debt
Management Team (DMT) are able to provide the number of DMP’s set up and/or suspended
in a specific period.
To further assist you with this request it should be noted that there will only be one DMP per
customer, which may include all debts, such as court fines and benefit overpayments. There
is not a separate debt plan for each benefit overpayment deduction. DMP’s do not exist for
deductions from an individual’s payments of Universal Credit (UC).
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us quoting the reference number
above.
Yours sincerely,
DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
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Department for Work and Pensions
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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
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or by writing to: DWP Central FoI Team, Caxton
House, 6-12 Tothill Street, London, 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. Generally, 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.
Website
: ICO Contact Information or telephone 0303 123 1113.
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