Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions explained

Post:	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Style:	Minister
Termlength:	At His Majesty's pleasure
Appointer Qualified:	on advice of the Prime Minister
Appointer:	The Monarch
Nominator:	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Incumbentsince:	9 July 2024
Incumbent:	The Baroness Sherlock
Department:	Department for Work and Pensions
Insigniacaption:	Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Insignia:	Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government) (2022).svg

The Minister for Work and Pensions, or Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the House of Lords,^[1] is a junior position in the Department for Work and Pensions in the British government. It is currently held by The Viscount Younger of Leckie, who took the office on 1 January 2023.

Responsibilities

The minister's responsibilities include:

• spokesperson for DWP business in the House of Lords
• child maintenance
• family test
• parental conflict
• legislation and statutory instruments strategy
• Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) relationship management
• Social Fund (Cold Weather Payments, Sure Start Maternity grants, Funeral Expenses Payment scheme and Budgeting loans)
• bereavement benefits
• supported accommodation
• Support for Mortgage Interest
• maternity benefits
• departmental planning and performance management, including oversight of: the single departmental plan, including tracking progress against manifesto commitments other external reporting and governance requirements
• departmental business, including oversight of: departmental capability in commercial and digital affairs commercial contracting policy
• transparency and data-sharing issues
• research and trialling
• Office for Nuclear Regulation

Ministers for Work and Pensions

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party	Notes
	The Baroness Hollis of Heigham		11 June 2001	10 May 2005	Labour	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	The Lord Hunt of Kings Heath		10 May 2005	4 January 2007	Labour	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	The Lord McKenzie of Luton		8 January 2007	6 May 2010	Labour	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	The Lord Freud		11 May 2010	21 December 2016	Conservative	Minister of State for Welfare Reform^[2]
	The Lord Henley		21 December 2016	15 June 2017	Conservative	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	The Baroness Buscombe		11 June 2017	30 July 2019	Conservative	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	The Baroness Stedman-Scott		30 July 2019	1 January 2023	Conservative	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	The Viscount Younger of Leckie		1 January 2023	5 July 2024	Conservative	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	The Baroness Sherlock		9 July 2024	Incumbent	Labour	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Notes and References

1. Web site: Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Work and Pensions) - GOV.UK. 2021-01-10. www.gov.uk. en.
2. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (2010–15)