Misplaced Pages

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Secretary of State for Work and Pensions" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

United Kingdom Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent Liz Kendall since 5 July 2024
Department for Work and Pensions
Style	Work and Pensions Secretary (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth)
Type	Minister of the Crown
Status	Secretary of State
Member of	Cabinet Privy Council
Reports to	The Prime Minister
Seat	Westminster
Nominator	The Prime Minister
Appointer	The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term length	At His Majesty's Pleasure
Formation	10 December 1916: (as Minister for Pensions) 8 June 2001: (as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions)
First holder	George Barnes (as Minister for Pensions)
Deputy	Minister of State for Employment
Salary	£159,038 per annum (2022) (including £86,584 MP salary)

This article is part of a series on
Politics of the United Kingdom
Constitution Magna Carta Bill of Rights Treaty of Union (Acts of Union) Parliamentary sovereignty Rule of law Separation of powers Other constitutional principles
The Crown The Monarch (list) King Charles III Heir apparent William, Prince of Wales Royal family Succession Prerogative Counsellors of State Republicanism in the United Kingdom
Executive Privy Council Charles III (King-in-Council) HM Government Cabinet (list) Starmer ministry (L) Prime Minister (list) Keir Starmer (L) Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner (L) Departments Ministers Agencies
Legislature UK Parliament (King-in-Parliament) King Charles III House of Lords Lord Speaker The Lord McFall of Alcluith House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch (C) 59th Parliament Opposition MPs List of MPs
JudiciaryCharles III (King-on-the-Bench) Supreme Court President The Lord Reed Deputy President The Lord Hodge Justices of the Supreme Court United Kingdom England and Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Deputy governors Monetary Policy Committee Currencies Banknotes Coins
Elections and referendums UK Parliament constituencies (2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies) Political parties Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 Scottish Parliament constituencies and electoral regions Senedd constituencies and electoral regions UK general elections 1801 co-option 1802 1806 1807 1812 1818 1820 1826 1830 1831 1832–33 1835 1837 1841 1847 1852 1857 1859 1865 1868 1874 1880 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 1910 (Jan–Feb) 1910 (Dec) 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 1974 (Feb) 1974 (Oct) 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024 Endorsements 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024 European Parliament elections (1979–2019) 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 Scottish Parliament elections 1999 2003 2007 2011 2016 2021 Next Northern Ireland Assembly elections 1998 2003 2007 2011 2016 2017 2022 Next Senedd elections 1999 2003 2007 2011 2016 2021 Next UK referendums 1975 2011 2016
Devolution Intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom Legislative consent motions Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council Council of the Nations and Regions England Governance of England English votes for English laws Greater London Authority 1998 referendum Greater London Authority Act 1999 (2007 Act) Mayor of London Sadiq Khan Mayoral cabinet London Assembly London Plan Combined authorities Metro mayors Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Act 1998 (2006 Act) First Minister Michelle O'Neill deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly Executive Assembly Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly Law of Northern Ireland Scotland Scottish devolution 1997 referendum Scotland Act 1998 (2012 Act, 2016 Act) First Minister John Swinney Government Scottish Parliament Act of the Scottish Parliament Scottish statutory instrument Scots law Wales Welsh devolution 1997 referendum (2011 referendum on law-making powers) Government of Wales Act 1998 (2006 Act, Wales Act 2014, Wales Act 2017) First Minister Eluned Morgan Government Senedd Measure of the National Assembly for Wales (1999–2011) Act of Senedd Cymru Welsh law
AdministrationEngland History Subdivisions: Regions Ceremonial counties (list) Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties Metropolitan county Non-metropolitan county Greater London Unitary authorities (list) Districts (list) Metropolitan Borough Non-metropolitan District London Borough Civil parishes (list) Historic counties Northern Ireland History Subdivisions: Counties Districts Scotland History Subdivisions: Sheriffdoms Council areas Community council areas Civil parishes Shires of Scotland Wales History Preserved counties Principal areas Communities (list) Historic counties
Crown Dependencies Bailiwick of Guernsey (Guernsey Alderney Sark) Bailiwick of Jersey Isle of Man British Islands Common Travel Area UK-CD Customs Union
Overseas Territories Akrotiri and Dhekelia Anguilla Bermuda British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Falkland Islands Gibraltar Montserrat Pitcairn Islands Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (Saint Helena Ascension Island Tristan da Cunha) South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands British Overseas Territories citizen Visa requirements Visa policies British Overseas Territories Act 2002 UK-OT JMC Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute Gibraltar sovereignty dispute Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute
Foreign relations Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Foreign policy (history) Diplomatic missions of / in the United Kingdom UK passport British National (Overseas) passport Visa requirements UK–CD Customs Union Visa policy Free trade agreements Australia Barbados Belgium Belize Brunei Canada China Hong Kong Cyprus Denmark France Germany India Israel Italy Japan Kenya Malaysia Malta Netherlands New Zealand Norway Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Spain South Africa Palestine Pakistan Poland Portugal United States Zimbabwe Ireland politics of Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement UK–Ireland border Northern Ireland Protocol British–Irish Council European Union (history) Brexit Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union UK–EU withdrawal agreement The Commonwealth member states United Kingdom and the United Nations United Nations Security Council P5 NATO G20 G7
United Kingdom portal England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Other countries
v t e

The secretary of state for work and pensions, also referred to as the work and pensions secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Department for Work and Pensions. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.

The office holder works alongside the other work and pensions ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for work and pensions and the shadow secretary of state for the future of work. The performance of the secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

The office is currently held by Liz Kendall.

Responsibilities

Corresponding to what is generally known as a labour minister in many other countries, the work and pensions secretary's remit includes:

• Support people of working age
• Oversight of employers and pensions
• Fiscal Consolidation
• Providing support for disability
• Support for families and children

History

It was created on 8 June 2001 by the merger of the employment division of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security.

The Ministry of Pensions was created in 1916 to handle the payment of war pensions to former members of the Armed Forces and their dependants. In 1944 a separate Ministry of National Insurance (titled the Ministry of Social Insurance until 17 November 1944) was formed; the two merged in 1953 as the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance. In 1966 the Ministry was renamed the Ministry of Social Security, but this was short-lived, as the ministry merged with the Ministry of Health in 1968 to form the Department of Health and Social Security. Confusingly, the secretary of state responsible for this department was titled the Secretary of State for Social Services. The department was de-merged in 1988, creating the separate Department of Health and Department of Social Security.

List of ministers and secretaries of state

Colour key (for political parties):
  Labour /   Conservative /   Liberal /   National Labour /   National Independent

Minister of Pensions (1916–1953)

Minister			Term of office		Political party	Cabinet
		George Nicoll Barnes	10 December 1916	17 August 1917	Labour	Lloyd George
		John Hodge	17 August 1917	10 January 1919	Labour
		Laming Worthington-Evans	10 January 1919	2 April 1920	Conservative
		Ian Macpherson	2 April 1920	19 October 1922	Liberal
		George Tryon	31 October 1922	22 January 1924	Conservative	Law
						Baldwin I
		Frederick Roberts	23 January 1924	3 November 1924	Labour	MacDonald I
		George Tryon	11 November 1924	4 June 1929	Conservative	Baldwin II
		Frederick Roberts	7 June 1929	24 August 1931	Labour	MacDonald II
		George Tryon	3 September 1931	18 June 1935	Conservative	National I
						National II
		Robert Hudson	18 June 1935	30 July 1936	Conservative	National III
		Herwald Ramsbotham	30 July 1936	7 June 1939	Conservative
						National IV
		Walter Womersley	7 June 1939	26 July 1945	Conservative	Chamberlain War
						Churchill War
						Churchill Caretaker
		Wilfred Paling	3 August 1945	17 April 1947	Labour	Attlee
		John Burns Hynd	17 April 1947	7 October 1947	Labour
		George Buchanan	7 October 1947	2 July 1948	Labour
		Hilary Marquand	2 July 1948	17 January 1951	Labour
		George Isaacs	17 January 1951	26 October 1951	Labour
		Derick Heathcoat-Amory	5 November 1951	3 September 1953	Conservative	Churchill III

Minister of Social Insurance/National Insurance (1944–1953)

Minister			Term of office		Political party	Cabinet
		William Jowitt	8 October 1944	23 May 1945	Labour	Churchill War
		Leslie Hore-Belisha	25 May 1945	26 July 1945	National Independent	Churchill Caretaker
		Jim Griffiths	4 August 1945	28 February 1950	Labour	Attlee
		Edith Summerskill	28 February 1950	26 October 1951	Labour
		Osbert Peake	31 October 1951	3 September 1953	Conservative	Churchill III
Posts of Minister of Pensions and Minister of National Insurance merged in 1953.

Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1953–1966)

Minister			Term of office		Political party	Cabinet
		Osbert Peake	3 September 1953	20 December 1955	Conservative	Churchill III
						Eden
		John Boyd-Carpenter	20 December 1955	16 July 1962	Conservative
						Macmillan I
						Macmillan II
		Niall Macpherson	16 July 1962	21 October 1963	Conservative
		Richard Wood	21 October 1963	16 October 1964	Conservative	Douglas-Home
		Margaret Herbison	18 October 1964	6 August 1966	Labour	Wilson I

Minister of Social Security (1966–1968)

Minister			Term of office		Political party	Cabinet
		Margaret Herbison	6 August 1966	26 July 1967	Labour	Wilson II
		Judith Hart	26 July 1967	1 November 1968	Labour

Secretary of State for Social Services (1968–1988)

Secretary of State			Term of office		Political party	Cabinet
		Richard Crossman	1 November 1968	19 June 1970	Labour	Wilson II
		Keith Joseph	20 June 1970	4 March 1974	Conservative	Heath
		Barbara Castle	5 March 1974	8 April 1976	Labour	Wilson III
						Wilson IV
		David Ennals	8 April 1976	4 May 1979	Labour	Callaghan
		Patrick Jenkin	5 May 1979	13 September 1981	Conservative	Thatcher I
		Norman Fowler	14 September 1981	13 June 1987	Conservative	Thatcher II
		John Moore	13 June 1987	24 July 1988	Conservative	Thatcher III
Post split into the Secretary of State for Social Security and the Secretary of State for Health in 1988.

Secretary of State for Social Security (1988–2001)

Secretary of State			Term of office		Political party	Cabinet
		John Moore	25 July 1988	22 July 1989	Conservative	Thatcher III
		Tony Newton	23 July 1989	9 April 1992	Conservative
						Major I
		Peter Lilley	10 April 1992	1 May 1997	Conservative	Major II
		Harriet Harman	1 May 1997	27 July 1998	Labour	Blair I
		Alistair Darling	27 July 1998	8 June 2001	Labour

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2001–present)

Secretary of State			Term of office		Political party	Cabinet
		Alistair Darling	8 June 2001	29 May 2002	Labour	Blair II
		Andrew Smith	29 May 2002	8 September 2004	Labour
		Alan Johnson	8 September 2004	6 May 2005	Labour
		David Blunkett	6 May 2005	2 November 2005	Labourur	Blair III
		John Hutton	2 November 2005	28 June 2007	Labour
		Peter Hain	28 June 2007	24 January 2008	Labour	Brown
		James Purnell MP for Stalybridge and Hyde	24 January 2008	5 June 2009	Labour
		Yvette Cooper MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford	6 June 2009	6 May 2010	Labour
		Iain Duncan Smith MP for Chingford and Woodford Green	12 May 2010	18 March 2016	Conservative	Cameron-Clegg
			Duncan Smith's tenure			Cameron II
		Stephen Crabb MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire	19 March 2016	14 July 2016	Conservative
		Damian Green MP for Ashford	14 July 2016	11 June 2017	Conservative	May I
		David Gauke MP for South West Hertfordshire	11 June 2017	8 January 2018	Conservative	May II
		Esther McVey MP for Tatton	8 January 2018	15 November 2018	Conservative
		Amber Rudd MP for Hastings and Rye	16 November 2018	7 September 2019	Conservative
						Johnson I
		Thérèse Coffey MP for Coastal Suffolk	8 September 2019	6 September 2022	Conservative
						Johnson II
		Chloe Smith MP for Norwich North	6 September 2022	25 October 2022	Conservative	Truss
		Mel Stride MP for Central Devon	25 October 2022	5 July 2024	Conservative	Sunak
		Liz Kendall MP for Leicester West	5 July 2024	Incumbent	Labour	Starmer

* Incumbent's length of term last updated: 26 December 2024.

Timeline

See also

• Secretary of State for Employment
• Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Financial Inclusion

References

1. "Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23" (PDF). 15 December 2022.
2. "Pay and expenses for MPs". parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
3. "Secretary of State for Work and Pensions". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
4. "Secretary of State for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK".
5. ^ Department for Work and Pensions. "A century of support: Department for Work and Pensions turns 100 years old". Department for Work and Pensions. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
6. "Lord Jenkin of Roding". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
7. "Lord Fowler". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
8. ^ "Lord Moore of Lower Marsh". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
9. "Lord Newton of Braintree". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
10. "Lord Lilley". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
11. "Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
12. ^ "Lord Darling of Roulanish". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
13. "Rt Hon Andrew Smith". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
14. "Rt Hon Alan Johnson". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
15. "Lord Blunkett". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
16. "Lord Hutton of Furness". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
17. "Lord Hain". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
18. "James Purnell". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
19. "Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
20. "Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
21. "Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
22. "Rt Hon Damian Green MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
23. "Rt Hon David Gauke". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
24. "Rt Hon Esther McVey MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
25. "Rt Hon Amber Rudd". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
26. "Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
27. "Chloe Smith MP". Retrieved 6 September 2022.

v t e Secretaries of state for work and pensions of the United Kingdom
Ministers of Pensions	Barnes Hodge Worthington-Evans Macpherson Tryon Roberts Tryon Roberts Tryon Hudson Ramsbotham Womersley Paling Hynd Buchanan Marquand Isaacs Heathcoat-Amory
Ministers of Social Insurance/National Insurance	Jowitt Hore-Belisha Griffiths Summerskill Peake
Ministers of Pensions and National Insurance	Peake Boyd-Carpenter Macpherson Wood Herbison
Ministers of Social Security	Herbison Hart
Secretaries of State for Social Services	Crossman Joseph Castle Ennals Jenkin Fowler Moore
Secretaries of State for Social Security	Moore Newton Lilley Harman Darling
Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions	Darling A. Smith Johnson Blunkett Hutton Hain Purnell Cooper Duncan Smith Crabb Green Gauke McVey Rudd Coffey C. Smith Stride

v t e UK cabinet portfolios
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
Cabinet ministers	Prime Minister / First Lord of the Treasury / Minister for the Union / Minister for the Civil Service Deputy Prime Minister / Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Chancellor of the Exchequer Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary Home Secretary Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Defence Secretary Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Justice Secretary / Lord Chancellor Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Health and Social Care Secretary Lord President of the Council / Leader of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Lords / Lord Privy Seal Business and Trade Secretary / President of the Board of Trade Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Work and Pensions Secretary Education Secretary / Minister for Women and Equalities Transport Secretary Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Northern Ireland Secretary Scottish Secretary Welsh Secretary
Also attending Cabinet	Chief Whip / Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Chief Secretary to the Treasury Attorney General for England and Wales / Advocate General for Northern Ireland Minister of State for International Development

• Lists of government ministers of the United Kingdom
• Ministerial offices in the United Kingdom
• Secretaries of state for work and pensions