Although the Department does not have any discrete IT projects, it has a number of projects and programmes that include changes to, or new, IT to a greater or lesser extent. We have included in the following table:
The projects and programmes currently on the Department's portfolio where the IT element of the project or programme results in the development and/or implementation of services that underpin the delivery of departmental business;
The investment costs of the project/programme. Costs of running the solutions implemented by the projects and programmes are not included as in the vast majority of cases they are more than compensated for by the financial benefits they generate.
Initiatives that are associated with ongoing system improvements or enhancements as part of business as usual have not been included.
For all programmes or projects the costs and reported completion dates relate to the total project or programme and not only the IT element.
Project Purpose (i) Latest forecast (£million) (ii) Planned timescale Employment and Support Allowance The project delivers the systems, processes and training to support delivery of the new Employment and Support Allowance. 295 October 2008 Customer Information System1 This project will deliver a database of key citizen information to be shared across DWP. The database will complement information currently available in the Department's key customer information systems, i.e. personal details computer system and departmental central index, and become their replacement. Consideration is being given for wider use of CIS by other Government Departments. 88 December 2008 Central Payments System A modern integrated central payment engine and accounts payable system to improve accounting for benefit/pension payments, reduce risks of service failure, increased speed and efficiency, and information for improved customer service and reduced fraud and error. 178 December 2011 Pensions Transformation Programme The programme will transform The Pension Service, bringing together business and IT change in ways that improve customer service and deliver efficiencies. 598 2010-11 Method of Payment Reform Programmes Method of Payment Reform Programmes will develop modern, electronic, secure and efficient methods of payments for customers who require payment by an alternate means other than direct payment to bank accounts. 48 March 2011 Lone Parent Obligations Lone Parents Obligations is part of welfare reform with the aim of increasing the lone parent employment rate. Currently lone parents are not required to seek employment until their youngest child reaches 16. Under new proposals to be phased in (starting with youngest child aged 12), lone parents will no longer be entitled to income support solely for being a lone parent if their youngest child is above seven. In the last year before entitlement ceases, work focused interviews will take place to encourage lone parents to take up training opportunities, leading to employment. 21 February 2011 Disability and Carers Service Change Programme This is an over-arching transformation programme for disabled people and their carers designed to move PDCS towards a business transformation that addresses people, partners, process, and puts the customer experience at the heart of their transformation plans, in line with the wider departmental strategy 69 March 2010 Pension Reform Delivery Programme To co-ordinate, manage and deliver a range of measures and consequential impacts which will establish a new structure for the UK Pension System long term. 118 December 2010 Document Repository Service This project seeks to support the Department's modernisation programmes through the provision of a document repository to store digitised images of documents received from customers (letters, faxes, e-mails etc.), cutting down paper in the organisation. 10 March 2009 Data Centre Strategy2 The project is addressing the ongoing continued threat of business service continuity with a replacement strategy for Washington Data Centre. 33 April 2011 Jobseekers Regime and Flexible New Deal This programme will replace and streamline the current New Deal programmes and will concentrate on tackling the challenging problems of those who remain unemployed despite a strong economy and historically low unemployment. The programme will include provision of obtaining skills and mandatory work experience for customers 19 October 2010 DWP Change Programme This programme brigades a number of complementary initiatives to deliver the DWP Business Vision. It includes projects to bring in continuous improvement using lean techniques which should allow greater customer focus and efficiency in our process and business improvement projects to allow greater access to information. 246 March 2011 Provider Referrals and Payment Project Deploy an IT system to automate and e-enable payment transactions between Jobcentre Plus and training providers. 18 June 2010 Local Services Integration programme3 To provide local services with an IT solution that supports the end to end process making administration more efficient. 15 December 2011 Government connect4 To roll out a secure data network connecting Government and local authorities, including secure file transfer, e-mail and web-browser capability 33 March 2011 1 Customer Information System (CIS)—The original expected completion date was March 2008 based on the date of the planned migration of Legacy Benefit System data. However, to minimise the risks associated with this approach a phased implementation was planned. The dates for this phased approach are: Start of Migration—March 2008 Completion of phased rollout—June 2008 Final Technical Release—October 2008 Project closure—December 2008 2 Data Centre Strategy—The planned timescale for completion is April 2011. This was reported previously in error as end of 2010. The project plans are not delayed. 3 Local Services Integration Programme—this project is relatively new to the Department's Portfolio and is in addition to those published in the NAO Report on DWP IT programmes November 2008. 4 Government Connect—also a recent addition to the Department's portfolio since the NAO report. £33 million forecast spend are the total costs of this cross government programme—funded by DWP (£8 million), Communities and Local Government (£19 million) and Department for Children and Families (£6 million). Note: The Child Support Agency, Operational Improvement Programme was included in the NAO list of projects but is excluded here. On 1 November 2008, responsibility for the Child Support Agency was transferred from the Secretary of State for DWP to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. The Commission is a Crown non-departmental public body (NDPB) which operates at arms length from the Department.
Although the Department does not have any discrete IT projects, it has a number of projects and programmes that include changes to, or new, IT to a greater or lesser extent. We have included in the following table:
The projects and programmes currently on the Department’s portfolio where the IT element of the project or programme results in the development and/or implementation of services that underpin the delivery of departmental business.
The investment costs of the project/programme. Costs of running the solutions implemented by the projects and programmes are not included as in the vast majority of cases they are more than compensated for by the financial benefits they generate.
Initiatives that are associated with ongoing system improvements or enhancements as part of business as usual have not been included.
For all programmes or projects the costs and dates reported relate to the total project or programme and not only the IT element.
The following table identifies, in respect of those projects for which there has been a delay on early business case estimates, the programme/project purpose, original planned completion date, latest expected completion date and the reason for any delay.
Overall, the Department has a very strong track record in delivering major and complex change involving IT, of which the successful introduction of the employment and support allowance is the most recent example. But, we are always seeking to improve our project management and governance processes. In particular:
Strict project governance arrangements apply to all significant changes on time scales, scope, cost and tolerances;
At each key stage, projects are reviewed to establish whether they continue to align with business needs;
Requests for scope change are reviewed and often revised to offset the need for other investment through new or separate projects; and
Original assumptions about scope, time scales and costs at strategic outline business case stage are inevitably open to later variation after proof of concept/initial design. At the critical design stage this informs more robust planning of time scales, costs and deliverables which are re-baselined as necessary.
At each stage of this process project plans are subject to rigorous scrutiny to ensure that they continue to fit with Departmental strategy and continue to deliver value for money.
Project Purpose Original planned completion date Expected completion date Reason for delay Customer Information System1 This project will deliver a database of key citizen information to be shared across DWP. The database will complement information currently available in the Department’s key customer information systems, i.e. Personal Details Computer System, and Departmental Central Index, and become their replacement. Consideration is being given for wider use of CIS by other Government Departments. September 2007 December 2008 During the design stage of the project, the original timetable was impacted by emerging IT complexities relating to the interfaces between the new system and existing systems in the Department. Additionally decisions were taken to phase data migration from the old to new system to reduce risk and safeguard data integrity. Central Payments System2 A modern integrated central payment engine and accounts payable system to improve accounting for benefit/pension payments, reduce risks of service failure, increased speed and efficiency, and information for improved customer service and reduced fraud and error. October 2006 December 2011 During project design, the need for developing additional system interfaces was identified. This was followed by a re-planning exercise and a significant increase in project scope. Contract for delivery was then renegotiated to realign the roles of the Department and the contractor. New contractual arrangements and project deliverables are now in place. Pensions Transformation Project The programme will transform THE Pension Service, bringing together business and IT change in ways that improve customer service and deliver efficiencies. March 2007 2010-11 Significant changes in phased implementation plans were approved to reduce the risk to operational delivery and customer service. The project is now running over a much longer time period to support implementation. Method of Payment Reform Programmes Method of Payment Reform Programmes will develop modern, electronic, secure and efficient methods of payments for customers who require payment by an alternate means other than direct payment to bank accounts. July 2008 March 2011 The end-date for the Programme was always planned to be March 2011. An earlier date of July 2008 was reported mistakenly in a previous response. This was the delivery date of an early phase of this programme. Fraud Referrals and Interventions Management System3 Fraud Referrals and Intervention Management System aims to deliver modernised Programme Protection activity. October 2007 June 2008 Additional system releases were approved while this project was still in implementation planning phase. This resulted in some months delay to expected completion time scales. Disability and Carers Service Change Programme This is an overarching Transformation Programme for disabled people and their carers designed to move PDCS towards a business transformation that addresses people, partners, process, and puts the customer experience at the heart of their transformation plans, in line with the wider Departmental Strategy. 2009 March 2010 This project scope was extended to include the child and intervention strategy leading to longer delivery time scales to accommodate additional requirements. Pension Reform Delivery Programme To co-ordinate, manage and deliver a range of measures and consequential impacts which will establish a new structure for the UK Pension System long term. April 2010 December 2010 Implementation is planned from April 2010, consistent with early estimate of time scales. The date of December 2010 refers to the project closure date. Document Repository Service This project seeks to support the Department’s modernisation programmes through the provision of a document repository to store digitised images of documents received from customers (letters, faxes, e-mails etc.), cutting down paper in the organisation. November 2008 March 2009 March 2009 reflects the project closure date. Implementation of a pilot started in November 2008 as planned. Provider Referrals and Payment Project Deploy an IT system to automate and e-enable payment transactions between Jobcentre Plus and training providers. April 2009 June 2010 An increased scope was agreed to incorporate policy developments for the flexible approach to New Deal programmes. This will deliver a more comprehensive and efficient IT provider payment support tool. 1 Customer Information System (CIS)—The original expected completion date was March 2008 based on the date of the planned migration of Legacy Benefit System data. However, to minimise the risks associated with this approach a phased implementation was planned. The dates for this phased approach are: Start of Migration—March 2008 Completion of phased rollout—June 2008 Final Technical Release—October 2008 Project closure—December 2008 2 Central Payments System (CPS)—this project was originally part of the Payment Modernisation Programme but later assumed project status in its own right. 3 Fraud Referrals and Interventions Management System—This project has now completed and is closed. The NAO report included, in error, additional expected completion dates in 2009. These were for further system releases and not part of the original system development.
Although the Department does not have any discrete IT projects, it has a number of projects and programmes that include changes to, or new, IT to a greater or lesser extent. We have included in the following table:
The projects and programmes currently on the Department's Portfolio where the IT element of the project or programme results in the development and/or implementation of services that underpin the delivery of departmental business;
The investment costs of the project/programme. Costs of running the solutions implemented by the projects and programmes are not included as in the vast majority of cases they are more than compensated for by the financial benefits they generate;
Initiatives that are associated with ongoing system improvements or enhancements as part of business as usual have not been included.
For all programmes or projects the costs and dates reported relate to the total project or programme and not only the IT element.
The following table identifies, in respect of those projects for which there has been a cost overrun on early business case estimates, the programme/project purpose and reason for budget overrun.
Overall, the Department has a very strong track record in delivering major and complex change involving IT, of which the successful introduction of the employment and support allowance is the most recent example. But we are always seeking to improve our project management and governance processes. In particular:-
Strict project governance arrangements apply to all significant changes on cost, scope and tolerances;
At each key stage, projects are reviewed to establish whether they continue to align with business needs; and
Original cost estimates are regularly reviewed at each stage in the project lifecycle;
It should also be noted that the scope of projects can change as they pass through the project lifecycle and as plans and costs become more robust. At each stage of this process they are subject to rigorous scrutiny to ensure that they continue to fit with departmental strategy and continue to deliver value for money.
Project Purpose Originally agreed Budget (i)(£ million) Current forecast costs (ii)(£ million) Reason for Budget overrun (iii) Customer information system This project will deliver a database of key citizen information to be shared across DWP. The database will complement information currently available in the Department's key customer information systems, i.e. personal details computer system and departmental central index, and become their replacement. Consideration is being given for wider use of CIS by Other Government Departments. 40 88 The original timetable was impacted by IT complexities identified at the design stage. Later decisions were taken to phase the migration of data from the old to the new system to reduce risk and safeguard data integrity. The additional work to resolve the IT issues and manage the project to revised timescales resulted in additional costs. Central payments system A modern integrated central payment engine and accounts payable system to improve accounting for benefit/pension payments, reduce risks of service failure, increased speed and efficiency, and information for improved customer service and reduced fraud and error. 90 178 Significant extension of project scope was approved to include the development of interfaces with additional benefit systems. This resulted in re-planned delivery dates and an increase in system development and project costs. Pensions transformation project The programme will transform The Pension Service, bringing together business and IT change in ways that improve customer service and deliver efficiencies. 429 598 Significant changes in phased implementation plans were put in place to a reduce risks to operational delivery and customer service. The project is now running over a much longer time period to support implementation which has led to the increase in costs. Method of Payment Reform programmes Method of Payment Reform programmes will develop modern, electronic, secure and efficient methods of payments for customers who require payment by an alternate means other than direct payment to bank accounts. 48 The cost of the programme was revised as its scope developed. Overall the project costs have risen with an increase in IT costs although costs of converting to new business processes have decreased. Lone parent obligations Lone parents obligations is part of welfare reform and intends increasing the lone parent employment rate. Currently lone parents are not required to seek employment until their youngest child reaches 16. Under new proposals to be phased in (starting with youngest child aged 12), lone parents will no longer be entitled to income support solely for being a lone parent if their youngest child is above seven. In the last year before entitlement ceases, work focused interviews will take place to encourage lone parents to take up training opportunities, leading to employment 9 21 Following consultation with external stakeholders and the Social Security Advisory Committee, a series of design and timing changes have resulted in increased costs. The changes are aimed at making transition as easy as possible for lone parents. Fraud referrals and interventions management system Fraud referrals and intervention management system aims to deliver modernised programme protection activity 12 30 From September 2007, the programme board approved three additional system releases while the project was still in delivery mode. While this added to the system functionality, it also increased total project costs. The project completed in 2008. Document repository service This project seeks to support the Department's modernisation programmes through the provision of a document repository to store digitised images of documents received from customers (letters, faxes, e-mails etc.), cutting down paper in the organisation. 6 10 Higher test environment costs and revised costs to put in place more robust audit/management functionality than originally planned resulted in an increase in total project costs. Jobseekers regime and flexible new deal1 This programme will replace and streamline the current new deal programmes and will concentrate on tackling the challenging problems of those who remain unemployed despite a strong economy and historically low unemployment. The programme will include provision of obtaining skills and mandatory work experience for customers 17 19 Implementation plans were changed slightly to incorporate a phased approach to delivery. This has resulted in a small increase in overall project costs. DWP Change programme This programme brigades a number of complementary initiatives to deliver the DWP Business Vision. It includes projects to bring in continuous improvement using lean techniques which should allow greater customer focus and efficiency in our process and business improvement projects to allow greater access to information. 245 246 Forecast costs have increased marginally but will be contained within the original budget and managed through the normal governance process. Provider referrals and payment project Deploy an IT system to automate and e-enable transactions between Jobcentre Plus and training providers. 17 18 Costs have increased marginally and are within tolerance. These will be monitored through normal governance processes. 1 Jobseekers regime and flexible new deal project—the project budget excludes any costs associated with staff exits which may result from this project. A higher figure representing total business case costs was reported to NAO (this includes estimated exit costs). Exit costs associated with projects are held centrally and are regularly are reviewed as they are often avoidable.
The Department's successful drive to increase the efficiency of its IT organisation has enabled it to reduce the number of its IT staff. This has been achieved through investment in improving staff skills, including the adoption of industry standard qualifications and best practice.
The Department has 149 major application systems currently supported by its existing hosting contract(s) which are listed. All of these systems are considered critical to the Department's business.
App (Short Name) App (Long Name/Description) ATAS Audit Trail Analysis Service (amended from System) ATS Appeals Tracking System BAS Benefits Adviser Service BAMS Benefits Agency Medical Service BCS Business Controls System BDBSH Birkenhead Dis Ben Syst Healthcheck (A) BEL Benefit Enquiry Line BIS Business Information system BOC Better off Calculator BCS Business Controls System CA (GB) Carer's Allowance formally known as ICA CA (NI) Carer's Allowance (Northern Ireland) CA Online Carer's Allowance Online CBS Call Booking System CFS Contract and Funding System ChIS Childcare Information System CIB Corporate Integration Backbone Services CIS Customer Information System CMS Customer Management System CMS MIS Customer Management System Management Information System CMS NISSA Customer management System Northern Ireland Social Security Agency Comet Comet Complaints Complaints Database CPP Common Payments Package CRU Compensation Recovery Unit CRU NI Compensation Recovery Unit NI CRU On-line Compensation Recovery Unit Online CRU les Compensation Recovery Unit Interactive e services CSA Accounting CSR Accounting (BMS/R) CSR Accounting (BMS/R) CSA DMS (GB) CSA Debt Management System CSCS Child Support Computer System CSCS Training CSIMS Customer Services Incident Management System CSR (CS2) CSR (Child Support 2) DACS (NI) Disability and Carers System (Northern Ireland) DBS Departmental Briefing System DCDB FD DCDB Fraud Database DIS Departmental Interface Server Replacement DiSC Disability Services Client System DLA (NI) Disabled Living Allowance Northern Ireland DLACS/AACS Disability Living Allowance /Attendance Allowance DM Debt Management (including DM Ml) DMAS Decision Making and Appeal System DMS Debt Management System DRS Document Repository System ECFPOD Electronic Claim Form Pensions Overseas Direct EDON/DVI Direct Vacancy Input ELES ESA LegaSuite Enquiry Service Elise Elise Empower eNIRS JC+ eNIRS JC+ ERM Employer Relationship Management ESA CAM Employment Support Allowance Customer Account Management ESA VME Employment Support Allowance VME ETD Electronic Transfer of Data FAMIS (PP) FAMIS Payroll & Personnel FAMIS ACC FAMIS Accounting FAMIS Ingres FAMIS Ingres FAO Financial Accounting Operations FAS Financial Assistance Scheme FRAIMS Fraud Referral and Intervention Management System FSD Flexible Service Delivery GMS Generalised Matching Service HBMS Housing Benefits Matching System HBSDC Housing Benefit Subsidy Data Collection HQ Library HQ Library leS Core leS Core IICS Industrial Injuries Computer System IJB Internet Job Bank INCAP See PSCS/Incap ISCS Income Support Computer System ISCS(NI) Income Support Computer System Northern Ireland ITG online Integration Services Online (Provides new applications with online access to legacy applications which includes the following components: Integration Services Online for PFS, CMS, NTC, CSR and BMSR ITG batch Integration Services Batch (Provides new applications with batch access to legacy applications which includes the following components: Integration Services Batch for PFS, CMS, NTC, CSR, BMSR, WFI(P), RM, PXP, CRU, DLA, KFEM, LPS, LMS, NOL, OB, PCFE, GIREC, SIS, VA, DEBTMAN, FNCS, HBSDC, IPBA, IRDEG, NAFM). IWB In Work Benefit JABS Jobseeker Attendance Band System JBA Job Broking Access Job Broking Access for Partners Job Warehouse Job Warehouse JSAPS Jobseeker's Allowance Payments System Jobpoint KMS Jobpoint Kiosk Management Service JSMA Jobcentre Search and Match app LFR Leeds File Registry LMDW Labour Market Data Warehouse LMS Labour Market System LMSMI Labour Market System Management Information LO/DO/RO/HO/ OA Office Automation LPS Local Payment System MD Mesothelioma Database MFSR (Opstrat Access) Multi Function Servers providing access to opstrat applications which includes the following component: MFSR DFP Web Logic Application MFSR (Printer Access) Multi Function Servers providing access to opstrat printing. MOP Method of Payment Application - CCMS MI Challenge Database MI Challenge Database MPS Course booking system MyDWP MyDWP NDDP New Deal for Disabled People database - client management system AKA NDDP CMS New Deal for Disabled People Duplicate of NDDP NDEMI New Deal Management Information NIRS1 National Insurance Recording Systems 1 NOL Notification Online NOL/DLA Notification Online / Disabled Living Allowance NTC New Tax Credits OAS Overseas Awarding System OLE OLE and Trusted Channel OVBII Overseas Branch Industrial Injuries PACS Payment Accounting Computer System PCC Parliamentary Correspondence PCFE Pension Credit Front End PDS2000 Pensions Direct System 2000 PDES Pension Direct Enquiry Service PENS Penserver PFS PFS PFS MIS Pensions Forecasting System MIS PIB PTP Integration Backbone Application PSCS (NI) PSCS/lncap Pensions Services and Incapacity Benefit Computer System PSOD Pension Sharing on Divorce PTP Pension Transformation Programme (excluding the PxP PTP component, but including the following components: PTP Siebel Application, eDocs, PTP Bank Wizard, PTP QAS Application) PxP Push and Pull RATS Reassessment Appeals Tracking System Respond Respond Pensions and ICE RDAS Referral and Data Analysis Service RMS Resource Management System Rightfax Rightfax RKMS Remote Kiosk Management System RTPF Real Time Pensions Forecasting RPTC Retirement Pension teleclaims for Northern Ireland Self Serv Portal Self Service Portal SFAS Social Fund Accounting System 3FCS Social Fund Computer System SFCS (NI) SIDDB Sustainability in DWP Database SPVAFS Service Personnel and Veterans Agency Futures Suite Spyts Special Payments (including CSA) SSP Small Systems Platform (Assaults and Accidents Database(AAD), Disability and Discrimination Database (DDB), Electronic Filing System (EFS), Official Correspondence Database (OCD), Under 18 Support Team (UEST) STARS Storage and Retrieval System TeS Tactical E-Services TPJB Third Party Job Bank VME PROXY VME PROXY WFES Winter Fuels Enquiry Service WFPS Winter Fuel Payment System WFTC Working Families Tax Credit/Disabled Person's Tax Credit WFTC/DPTC WFTC/DPTC (NI) Workstep Workstep WPCS (WPKI) WPCS (WPKI) War Pensions Computer System
The Department re-aligned its IT contracts to enable it to procure industry standard services at market prices. This has also allowed the Department to substantially reduce its IT spend at the same time as improving the quality of the services procured.
Operational processes have been aligned with industry standard principles, ITIL (IT Information Library) or CMMi (Capability Maturity Model Integration) to maximise the efficiency of procurement and management of IT service delivery. The professional skills of the Department’s IT staff have been improved to match.
Supplier governance has been strengthened through regular meetings at a strategic and operational level to review contract performance based on contractually agreed management information requirements. Where necessary, service improvement steps are agreed as part of continuous service improvement plans.
The Department also undertakes supplier intelligence analysis to identify market trends and monitor the financial stability of its key suppliers.
These steps have delivered significant improvements in IT contract delivery; the Department’s future plans build on the realigned contracts to make further progress in service improvement and value for money for its IT investment.
The Department’s contracts with BT and EDS specify service levels and key performance indicators which measure critical and important performance parameters in line with industry best practice. They are measured and formally reported on 12 times a year at regular intervals. Following the same reporting cycle the accuracy of the reports generated by BT and EDS is formally validated and assured by the Department. These processes are underpinned by periodic audits.
The standard project management methodology used within the Department is PRINCE2. Supporting this, the Department has developed a project delivery tool, known as the DWP Change Lifecycle. The Lifecycle, representing best practice and setting standards, is mandated for use by all projects within the Department.
The DWP lifecycle also includes guidance on project planning, with a dedicated section relating to Planning and Estimating.
Further planning and investment guidance is available to projects, such as HM Treasury’s “Green Book”, and the Department’s Investment Costing guidance.
The Risk Management Framework formally describes the Department’s approach to managing risks and issues. It incorporates internal and external good practice, from both the public and private sectors and is fully consistent with guidance set out in the HMT “Orange Book”—Management of Risk: Principles and Concept.
The Department has contracted its service providers to create and maintain software licence registers for the software it uses.
All projects are required to document the key information needed to correctly direct and manage them, including an overview of how the project will be carried out and its governance arrangements. All the Department's major projects detail this within the Project Initiation Document, however, for smaller scale projects with low costs or short timescales this information would be contained within the Business Case.
All the Department's projects and programmes delivering change, including IT enabled projects, are required to produce a business case, which includes a cost-benefit analysis.
It is not in the interests of the Department's security arrangements for details to be published of the approaches that are taken in identifying and responding to particular risks to IT systems. Such information, if published, could assist those intent on undermining the Department's IT security, and could prejudice the Department's efforts to protect information, including personal data in respect of individuals. This is not in the public interest. I refer the hon. Member to the answer in the official record for 17 December 2008, Official Report column 826W, which sets out the Department’s approach to data and information security.
The Department has conducted an IT and Telephony survey of staff in each of the last three years. The overall assessment of the Department's IT and telephony systems was positive in all three years. In each year scope for improvement of some IT applications and telephony were identified. Improvement programmes and better IT user guidance have been implemented as a result.
It is not in the interests of the Department or its stakeholders to publish the detailed plans that apply to the protection of its business processes. To do so could enable individuals to deduce how successful the Department is in protecting its systems and identifying vulnerabilities, which might assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the Department’s controls, or otherwise causing mischievous disruption to the Department. This would not be in the public interest.
However the Department’s Business Continuity policy and guidance documents are publicly available on the UK Resilience website:
http://www.ukresilience.gov.uk/preparedness/ccact/good_practice/methodology.aspx
All 19 of the major business change programmes are supported by IT. They are listed in appendix 1 of the report of the National Audit Office to the Work and Pensions Select Committee (Department for Work and Pensions: Information Technology Programmes), a copy of which is in the Library. They include programmes which will improve the deployment of financial information, for example the Central Payment System, and programmes to deliver efficient and effective services to the Department’s customers, for example the Department for Work and Pensions Change Programme.
The IT Systems used to process the Department's benefits are shown in the following table associated with the benefits they support.
IT System Benefit or Allowance Supported Carers Allowance Computer System Carers Allowance Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance Computer System Attendance Allowance Disability Living Allowance Income Support Computer System (ISCS) Income Support Pension Credit Cold Weather Payments Industrial Injuries Computer System (IICS) Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and Associated Benefits and Allowances1 Industrial Death Benefit Pneumoconiosis, Bysinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Jobseekers Allowance Payment System (JSAPS) Employment and Support Allowance Jobseekers Allowance Training Allowance Job Grant Pensions Strategic Computer System (PSCS) Bereavement Benefit Incapacity Benefit Maternity Allowance Severe Disablement Allowance (residual) State Pension Widows Benefit (residual) Job Grants for Incapacity benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance customers Social Fund Computer System Social Fund Crisis Payments Social Fund Budgetary Loans Sure Start Maternity Grants Winter Fuels Payment System Winter Fuel Payments 1 Industrial Injuries Computer System also administers the payment of associated allowances which are Constant Attendance Allowance, Exceptional Severe Disablement Allowance, Unemployability Supplement, Reduced Earnings Allowance and Retirement Allowance
In addition where a customer is already in receipt of benefit Winter Fuel Payments are also administered on the appropriate core benefit system.