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Written question asked by David Reed (Conservative) on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 July 2026. It was answered by Andrew Western (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Pensions and Social Security Benefits: Payments

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what contingency arrangements are in place to maintain payment of benefits and pensions in the event of a (a) major IT or (b) infrastructure disruption.

Answer

DWP maintains robust business continuity and resilience plans designed to safeguard the payment of benefits and pensions in the event of major disruption, including significant IT or infrastructure failures. The Department keeps these arrangements under regular review and testing to ensure that critical services can continue to operate during incidents affecting normal business operations.

It would not be appropriate to disclose the detailed arrangements in place. Releasing information about specific contingency measures could reduce their effectiveness and increase risks to the resilience and security of systems that support the delivery of benefits and pensions.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
17248
Session
2026-27
Registered interest declared
Yes
Subjects
ICT Infrastructure Pensions Payments Social security benefits
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk