The DWP communications team has a wide-ranging remit to support the delivery of the Department's objectives. This includes communicating with staff, the public, business and stakeholders on the help and support available throughout the downturn, eligibility for entitlements, pensions, additional help and support as well as encouraging saving for later life. The team works right across the breadth of the Department's responsibilities and includes providing services for Jobcentre Plus and the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service.
Spend information is available for financial years rather than calendar years. Fully audited figures for spend on advertising for 2009-10 are not available at this time. Therefore data supplied is for the 2008-09 financial year.
During 2008-09 financial year a total of £42.283 million was spent by DWP on all communication services. This total covers the spend with external marketing and communication suppliers but does not include internal staff costs and any communications interim personnel. In addition a further £1.735 million was spent on marketing and publicity services through the Department's print and associated services contract with iON during the 2008-09 period. These figures are against overall DWP running costs in 2008-09 of £7.9 billion (0.56 per cent. of overall spend).
Included in this, DWP spent £12.327 million on advertising in this period. All costs are exclusive of VAT, COI fees, advertising rebates and audit adjustments and are for media spend only. They also exclude the cost of creative work, research, production of supporting materials or launch events.
Again, included in the overall figure was a total of £1.2 million was spent by DWP on external public relations during 2008-09.