Robert Devereux (civil servant) explained

Sir Robert Devereux
Office:Permanent Secretary for the Department for Work and Pensions
Honorific-Suffix:KCB
Minister:Iain Duncan Smith
Stephen Crabb
Damian Green
David Gauke
Esther McVey
Predecessor:Sir Leigh Lewis
Successor:Peter Schofield
Termend:2018
Termstart:2011
Minister2:Douglas Alexander
Ruth Kelly
Geoff Hoon
The Lord Adonis
Philip Hammond
Office2:Permanent Secretary for the Department for Transport
Predecessor2:Sir David Rowlands
Succeeded2:Dame Lin Homer
Termstart2:2007
Termend2:2011
Birth Name:Robert John Devereux
Birth Date:15 January 1957

Sir Robert John Devereux, KCB (; born 15 January 1957) is a retired senior British civil servant, who served as Permanent Secretary for the Department for Transport from 2007 to 2011,[1] and oversaw a new policy increasing the UK retirement age to 67 at the Department for Work and Pensions from 2011 until his retirement at 61 in January 2018.[2] [3]

Education

Devereux was educated at St John's College, Oxford between 1975 and 1978, before studying for a master's degree at the University of Edinburgh.

Career

Devereux joined the Civil Service in 1979; until 1983 he worked in the Overseas Development Administration, before working at HM Treasury until 1994. He was with the Department of Social Security between 1996 and 2001. From 2007 to 2011, Devereux was Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport. He became Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 1 January 2011. As of 2015, Devereux was paid a salary of between £180,000 and £184,999 by the department.[4]

In 2013, it was reported that the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, informed the Prime Minister David Cameron that he was concerned about the "concerted political briefing campaign" against Devereux over failures in the DWP's Universal Credit programme.[5]

On 11 October 2017, it was announced that Sir Robert would retire from his post on his 61st birthday. He was succeeded by Peter Schofield, at that point the department's Director-General for Finance, in January 2018.

Honours

Devereux was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to transport and welfare and for voluntary service in Kilburn, London.[6]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New Permanent Secretary for the Department for Work and Pensions. Department for Work and Pensions. Department for Work and Pensions. 27 September 2010. 5 January 2011.
  2. Web site: DEVEREUX, Robert John. A & C Black. 2011. Who's Who 2011. Oxford University Press. 5 January 2011.
  3. Web site: Appointment of Peter Schofield as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions. HM Government. 2018-01-12. gov.uk. en. 2018-01-15.
  4. Web site: Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015 - GOV.UK. 2015-12-17. gov.uk. 2016-03-13.
  5. News: Exclusive: Top mandarin hits back at Iain Duncan Smith over universal. Wright. Oliver. 2013-11-24. The Independent. 2018-01-15. en-GB.
  6. Web site: New Year's Honours 2016 list. GOV.UK. 30 December 2015. 30 December 2015.