VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Asked by Rupert LoweRestore BritainDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 1 November 2024UIN 11115

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) average waiting time for people calling and (b) time people spent on hold for her Department was in each of the last five years.

Answered by Andrew Western

The table below shows the Average Speed of Answer and Total Hold Time for all people calling DWP for the last 5 business years, with 2024 to 2025 being to 20th Oct’ 2024* only, that being the last date for which data is available.

Average Speed of Answer (hh:mm:ss)

Average Hold Time (hh:mm:ss)

2020 – 2021

00:08:33

00:00:32

2021 – 2022

00:09:39

00:00:36

2022 – 2023

00:08:22

00:00:28

2023 – 2024

00:08:34

00:00:26

2024 to date

*00:07:58

*00:00:25

*To date

Please note, the data shown is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use. The figures provided may therefore be subject to retrospective change and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standards.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim