PCS condemn DWP for partnership with The S*n media outlet

PCS has written to DWP to express disgust that the department has entered into a media partnership with The S*n. 

This was not brought to PCS through the consultation process, but raised to group officers by concerned members, who saw it posted on the DWP intranet as a done deal.

From 23 January to 18 April 2025, DWP, will be working with the S*n to run an awareness campaign to give wider visibility of key campaign messaging for Move to UC (M2UC). DWP states that the overarching role of this partnership is to engage Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants through a “trusted”, non-government voice to help reassure them about their move to Universal Credit.

The decision by DWP to enter into a media partnership with The S*n is incredibly insensitive given the track record of a “newspaper” that is no friend of working people or benefit claimants. 

PCS members will never forgive or forget their role over decades in demonising benefit claimants as “work shy” and “shirkers”. Furthermore, many of our members are still deeply affected by The S*n’s outright lies about the behaviour of supporters during and after the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April 1989, which claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool Football Club fans and has left thousands severely traumatised.

PCS has a long-held policy of supporting the campaign group a total eclipse of the S*n, boycotting sales and forcing DWP to remove copies from departmental premises.

PCS demands DWP withdraws from partnership

PCS has written to DWP demanding that they withdraw immediately from this media partnership. We have been inundated by members in Merseyside and around the UK venting their anger at their employer and demanding that DWP has no dealings with a publication that does not have the interests of workers and benefit claimants at heart, but spreads division and hate.

Our members are rightly insulted by DWP claiming that The S*n are a “trusted” non-government voice. Thousands of our members have and never will forgive The S*n for their scandalous claims about Liverpool FC supporters in 1989. Furthermore, The S*n have supported cuts to social security at every opportunity and continue to demonise benefit claimants to create division within the working class.

DWP must see sense and withdraw from this partnership immediately as they run the risk of losing the goodwill of staff; and our members’ job is hard enough without our losing the trust, confidence and respect of the benefit claimants that we serve.

Any member that has been affected by the decision made by DWP, or anything within this briefing, please contact a PCS representative for support. You can find your rep by logging into PCS Digital.