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Written question asked by Neil O'Brien (Conservative) on Friday, 16 February 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 20 February 2024. It was answered by Paul Maynard (Conservative) on Thursday, 22 February 2024 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Employment and Support Allowance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which companies (a) were involved in designing and (b) are involved in maintaining the technology programmes used to manage (i) the Employment and Support Allowance, (ii) the transition from Incapacity Benefit to the Employment and Support Allowance and (iii) National Insurance credits for Employment and Support Allowance claimants.

Answer

The following companies were involved alongside DWP in the design and maintenance of (i) Employment and Support Allowance, (ii) the transition from Incapacity Benefit to the Employment and Support Allowance and (iii) National Insurance credits for Employment and Support.

The Employment and Support allowance (ESA) service was initially designed by Electronic Data Systems (EDS) who later became Hewlett Packard Enterprise Systems (HPES) in August 2008, working with DWP to implement it.

HPES continued to maintain and support ESA until 2016 when the Government company BPDTS Ltd (Benefits and Pensions Digital Technology Services) was established to provide digital technology services to the DWP. The Company’s employees were public servants who provided a full range of digital technology services to DWP. BPDTS was formally classified as a non-departmental public body. BPDTS colleagues were subsequently transferred into DWP in 2021.

The ESA benefit is now developed and maintained by an in-house DWP team.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
14255
Session
2023-24
Subjects
Incapacity benefit Technology Employment and support allowance National insurance credits
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk