‘Chaos is business as usual in Retirement Services Directorate’

Recent report of staffing conditions in the DWP Retirement Services Directirate from the PCS Union include for example -

Service centres have had new staff change from one benefit to another while still in consolidation for their first ever role in the Department. At Makerfield, this involved moving staff handling New State Pension to a variety of other flavours of pensions-related work.

At our site, dozens of people were just suddenly moved off en masse to something widely divergent from their contractually agreed department and placed under remote command.

‘That’s how we do it in DWP!’ was one line frequently heard by staff of all grades. Staff grumbles about not being able to do the job they were recruited for were swept under the rug, and many felt like they were merely a number on a spreadsheet, to be moved at will to fit directives from on high.

Now another announcement comes of even more staff being pulled from RSD to fit “the needs of the business” ... ‘

And it’s still taking them upwards of 6 months to process a straightforward PC claim for a vulnerable client!

“Omnishambles” anyone?