MPs to question DWP officials amid complaints controversy

The Work and Pensions Committee is to question Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) officials on 16 January 2026, in a session scrutinising the department's annual reports and accounts¹. The committee said the officials will be questioned amid concerns raised by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) over how seriously the department is tackling failings at the heart of the WASPI women scandal¹.

PHSO chief Paula Sussex wrote to committee chair Debbie Abrahams of "serious concerns" over delays to promised remedial actions on how the DWP handles complaints and communicates state pension reforms¹. In November, the PHSO was told by the Permanent Secretary, who is due to be a witness at the evidence session, that work on the action plan has been paused¹.

Ms Sussex also said the move is "certainly a disservice to the Department's service users and complainants"¹.

Ahead of the PHSO issue, MPs will ask about overpayments of carers allowance¹. Almost 90,000 people have racked up debts to the DWP, whose pursual of repayments the 2025 Sayce Review found had a profound impact on people's lives¹. The review found that systemic failures in the Department caused this and that the Department missed opportunities to address the situation sooner¹. MPs will ask about the DWP's treatment of claimants after an internal blogpost was leaked that laid the blame for the scandal with victims¹.

MPs are also likely to ask officials about fraud and error figures, the use of AI by the Department, and how it is taking on the skills brief¹.

The witnesses, from 09.30, are¹:

Why it matters for households

The session covers benefits administration affecting two groups in particular. On carers allowance, almost 90,000 people have accrued debts to the DWP through overpayments, and the 2025 Sayce Review found the department's pursuit of repayments had a profound impact on people's lives, attributing the failures to systemic problems in the department¹. Separately, the PHSO's remedial action plan covers how the DWP handles complaints and communicates state pension reforms, and the PHSO has said work on that plan was paused as of November¹. The committee has not reported any change to repayment or complaint handling as a result of the session; the hearing is scrutiny of the department's performance, not a decision on individual cases.

What happens next

The evidence session takes place on 16 January 2026 from 09.30, with the three officials listed above due to appear¹. The committee has not reported what, if anything, follows the session.