Pay 2025 has now been published in DWP. Inflation – the rate at which prices are rising in the economy – is 4.4%. In DWP only SEO grades at the bottom of their pay band will get this. For all other staff AO to G6, this year’s pay award is a real-terms pay cut, with extra pain for any remaining ED opt-outs at AO and EO grade.
This is especially galling for the AA, AO and EO grade staff who make up three-quarters of all DWP staff, who will receive between 3.75 and 4.01%. HEOs are also being treated poorly with a 3.25% rise, despite grades to either side getting more in percentage terms.
Civil Service pay has fallen precipitously by a third since 2010. The 2025 pay offer is yet another kick in the teeth for hard working staff who are trying to support the most vulnerable in our communities. The below-inflation rise this year means that AA and AO grade staff will be back on minimum wage by April 2026. We need to fight for the union’s 10% pay claim to stop the further erosion of our pay and to start to restore the fall in value of our wages.
Jobs and offices are at risk!
No matter what calming noises are being made by the DWP senior managers, jobs are very much at risk. Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review (SR25) imposes 15% “administrative” cuts to departments including DWP. This means jobs will be cut.
In the Cabinet Office in April, 1,200 job cuts were announced out of a mere 6,500 staff. In the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, 25% staffing cuts have been announced. We will not be spared. Starmer’s Labour government has already showed what it thinks of benefits, with their attacks on Winter Fuel & PIP.
In the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), a major office closure programme has been announced, and rumours abound of other such closure programmes being prepared by civil service departments.
PCS must prepare for a fight now or be caught napping by DWP.
Hybrid costs incoming
We cannot forget that from September, Back of House staff will have to attend their office 60% of the time, imposing extra travel costs and potentially childcare costs, while reducing flexibility. Meanwhile our Jobcentre staff, at their frontline posts throughout the pandemic, have never been extended hybrid flexibility.
PCS must build the campaign set out in union policy agreed in May 2025 to force the withdrawal of this imposed mandate. And fight for the extension of agreed hybrid arrangements for all staff across DWP.
Campaign 2025: Pay, jobs & hybrid
Broad Left Network supporters in PCS demanded rejection of the pay award in DWP. Well-attended meetings across PCS branches where we have supporters have echoed this view, and have voted for a single fight with DWP over pay, jobs and hybrid working.
The best way to fight is to build a campaign nationally, across all government departments. Our union’s conference voted to do exactly this in May 2025, passing motion A383, which demanded that the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) prepare for a ballot by mid-September.
Regrettably the union’s NEC is not doing this; more than two months have passed since Conference and no steps have been taken to prepare for a fight. What can we do?
If the NEC won’t fight, we will!
Within the DWP part of the union, the elected leadership – the DWP Group Executive Committee – have called for members’ meetings and for a consultative ballot, “to test members readiness to take action.”
We urge all branches to make use of this. If the ballot is anything like a recent consultative ballot in Scotland, it will not be a proper ballot, but will be by MS Forms and members will have to fill in their personal details before completing it. It will require time and effort to drive turnout. This is important work.
BLN supporters will produce material that can be used to call for a thumping YES vote, to put pressure both on DWP as our employer but also on the union’s leadership.
Members demanding action in the largest group in PCS might force the NEC to ditch their complacency. Contact BLN in DWP via email: pcsblnetwork@gmail.com
Even if it does not, it will send a clear signal that DWP members want to fight – joining reps and members who have already signaled this in Scottish Government, in the Department for Education and in other civil service areas. It will also bring to the front members who are prepared to step up as reps and activists in PCS.
No more holding us back
Sooner or later, the dam built in the union by the current PCS leadership under Fran Heathcote, Martin Cavanagh and Angela Grant will break.
They do everything possible to avoid a serious fight. They are bamboozled by jam tomorrow promises and nice words from DWP and civil service managers even higher up. They pledge to support any branch or employer area that wants to move towards a dispute – but then spent months dithering instead of organizing.
Temperature amongst members is rising. They want a fighting, democratic PCS with the socialist programme and methods necessary to win victories for our members. BLN will deliver that. We urge all activists in PCS and members who want to build the fight to join us.
Broad Left Network in DWP will also be holding an open meeting to discuss how we force the union’s leaders both nationally and in DWP into a serious fight on pay, jobs and hybrid on Tuesday September 2nd at 7pm. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87291820285
PCS Broad Left Network 