Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been waiting for more than (a) three, (b) six, (c) 10, (d) 12 and (e) 18 months from receipt of a complaint to the investigating officer (i) being assigned and (ii) commencing the investigation as of 25 April 2022.

A complaint is treated as having been accepted for investigation from the point at which the scope of the investigation is agreed with the complainant. The investigation commences from the point at which the complaint is assigned (allocated) to an Investigator.

As of 25 April 2022, there were 749 complaints that were accepted for investigation on or before 25 January 2022 awaiting allocation to an Investigator, of which: