Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years.

As one of the largest government departments, our campaigns aim to give people straightforward information about policies and services that make a real difference in their daily lives. We focus on helping some of the UK’s most vulnerable households by showing them what support is available and how to access it. For example, letting pensioners know they could get extra money to help with living costs and explaining how to apply, guiding people through the steps to switch from older benefits to Universal Credit so they don’t miss out on payments, and sharing advice on how to access jobs and skills support.

Advertising is essential to reach the right people with these messages. We choose media channels that give the best value for money and have the biggest impact for taxpayer.

Total spend with our buying and planning agencies for the last three financial years is as follows: (amounts are rounded to nearest £0.1m):