Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department uses automated decision making.

The Department does use automated decision making in some services and processes, which allows us to improve accuracy, speed up delivery and free up colleagues’ time so they can support the people who need it most. Review or appeal options are built in to all DWP benefit processes, even where this is not specifically required by data protection laws.

The Department is always careful to process data lawfully, proportionately, and ethically with safeguards for the protection of individuals. DWP does not use Artificial Intelligence for automated decision making.

DWP’s Personal Information Charter explains how and why we use personal information and citizen’s rights and responsibilities.