DWP workers ballot over pay

PCS members who work in jobcentres, pension centres and child maintenance offices are being balloted on the latest pay offer from DWP. They are angry that this is likely to see staff in the lowest three grades in DWP all languishing on the Real Living Wage from April 2026.

At the same time as increasing pay at the higher grades, DWP refused the option of requesting permission from the Treasury to increase spending on pay in the department. An increased pay budget would have gone some way to dealing with poverty pay and the staffing crisis of recruitment and retention.

This ballot, which runs until 30 September, will be an unwelcome start for the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said:

“It is an outrage that DWP has offered higher pay awards to senior staff while the majority of our hard-working members are seeing real terms decreases. The chronic low pay and compacting of grades will see the staffing crises in DWP worsen and will seriously impact the ability of Government to deliver on any future plans.

“DWP should be warned that the public want to see value for taxpayers' money, a department properly resourced to be able to help some of society’s most marginalised, and a fair deal for the workers who put so much into getting the outcomes their service users deserve.”