Less joined up government – Duncan-Smith plans to break up DWP
According to Government sources, Iain Duncan-Smith, the Work and Pensions secretary is about to split the DWP into two separate departments, one looking after welfare and one dealing with pensions. DWP has the biggest budget in Whitehall and has been restructured frequently in recent years. It was created in 2001 from the Department of Social Security which until 1988 had the health brief too, and despite this happening over thirty years ago, lots of people still refer to DWP as the DHSS!
The DWP brief is certainly challenging and there has been an element of a revolving door about the post – there were 19 different secetaries of state and ministers during the years that Labour was in power.
Although the plan is about saving money, one consultancy firm – Oliver Wyman – has reportedly done well out of the proposals as it has secured the contract to look at the break-up.
