Careers in the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of the Civil Service, the DWP is the largest public service department in the UK and is the body responsible for pensions, welfare and child maintenance policy.
It delivers benefits and services to around 20 million claimants and customers, including through Jobcentre Plus, The Pension Service, the Child Maintenance Service and partner organisations:
Jobcentre Plus - helping job seekers find employment, and supporting people who claim Universal Credit and other working age benefits, including people on a low income as well as those out of work or unable to work.
The Pension Service - dealing with the State Pension and pension age benefits such as Pension Credit, and giving information about them.
Child Maintenance Service - working out how much child maintenance should be paid, arranging payments and taking action if a parent does not pay.
DWP also runs disability and carer benefits such as Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Carer's Allowance.
Types of DWP Jobs
The National Audit Office reports that the DWP group had nearly 89,000 full-time equivalent staff at 31 March 2025.
Job opportunities exist on the front line in services such as Jobcentre Plus and The Pension Service, as well as behind the scenes in business-critical departments like IT, finance, administration, communications and HR.
There are also many roles to be found in the DWP's digital team as it looks to transform the way services are delivered through new technologies and innovation.
How to Get a Job in the DWP
DWP advertises its jobs on the Civil Service Jobs website. Each advert sets out the role, its level and how you will be assessed.
To be successful in your application, you'll need to show a commitment to meeting the needs and delivering on behalf of service users.
You'll also need to be familiar with the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework, as this informs the recruitment process for the DWP.
DWP Application Process
For every job opening, the DWP chooses what to assess from the Civil Service Success Profiles. Success Profiles has five elements: behaviours, strengths, ability, experience and technical skills. The job advert tells you which ones apply.
To assess how well you meet the criteria, the DWP uses multiple techniques. These can vary between roles, but the typical process includes an application, screening tests and interviews.
DWP Online Application
Depending on the role, the DWP may ask for an application form, a CV, a supporting statement or a combination of these.
Your CV should be tailored to highlight the specific criteria detailed in the job description, with a particular focus on experience, skills and technical knowledge.
The application form may also assess relevant behaviours as laid out in the Success Profiles Framework through one or more long-form questions.
These ask for examples of how you have shown these behaviours in the past. Check the application form for any word limit before you start writing.
The job advert makes clear which behaviours are being assessed. These may include:
- Communicating and influencing
- Delivering at pace
- Working together
- Making effective decisions
DWP Aptitude Tests
If the role uses online tests, you'll be sent an email invitation with full instructions on how to proceed, so check it for any completion date.
The tests used depend on the role. GOV.UK lists several Civil Service tests, including the Civil Service Judgement Test, the Civil Service Numerical Test and the Civil Service Verbal Test.
Civil Service Judgement Test
Some DWP roles use the Civil Service Judgement Test, a situational judgement test that GOV.UK says measures your judgement and decision making in relation to specific Civil Service Behaviours.
It has two parts. In the first, you answer questions about how you usually behave at work and what you prefer, including how ambitious, motivated and flexible you are. This part makes up 15% of your overall score, and you may be asked about your answers at interview.
The second section contains hypothetical scenarios that you'd reasonably expect to come across in the job. Each will be accompanied by four ways of responding to the situation. You'll need to decide how appropriate each response is and rate it as effective, fairly effective, ineffective or counterproductive.
Your ratings are scored, so think about which actions best reflect the behaviours named in the job advert. Judge each action on its own; more than one action can get the same rating. The test is not timed, and GOV.UK suggests allowing at least an hour.
Civil Service Numerical Test
If you're asked to take a numerical reasoning test, you're being assessed on your ability to process, interpret and draw conclusions from numerical information that is new to you. GOV.UK says it measures your ability to perform calculations and to evaluate and interpret numerical information to solve problems.
The numerical reasoning test is multiple choice. Each question will show data in the form of a table, chart or graph with an accompanying word problem. You choose the correct answer from several options.
The test is not timed, although GOV.UK says most people take between 15 and 45 minutes. It is adaptive, which means the questions you see depend on how you have answered so far.
You will need to perform calculations, so it helps to be comfortable with everyday maths such as percentages and ratios.
Civil Service Verbal Test
In the verbal reasoning test, it is your ability to solve problems based on written information that is under assessment.
For every question, you'll need to read through a passage of text, at the end of which you'll be given a statement in relation to it. Based only on the information you've read, you'll decide if this statement is true, false, or if there is not enough detail to say conclusively either way.
Practising helps you pick out relevant detail and judge a statement only on what the passage actually says.
As with the numerical test, this is an adaptive assessment with no time limit.
DWP Interviews
Based on your performance in the online assessments, you may then be invited to interview. The Civil Service says interviews may be face to face, by telephone, by video or recorded, and usually last 30 to 60 minutes.
For a recorded interview, you'll be sent an invitation with instructions. Read them carefully and use any practice question offered before you start.
You'll then answer a series of recorded questions, so check the instructions for how long you have to prepare and record each answer. Questions are usually based on the behaviours in the job advert, so have a clear example ready for each.
A live interview usually focuses on the same behaviours and may also include strengths questions about what you enjoy and do well.
Tips to Get Hired at DWP
1. Take Plenty of Practice Aptitude Tests
If you've never come across them before, these are perhaps the trickiest part of the DWP application process, particularly the numerical and verbal reasoning tests. Practice tests will help you understand their format, strengthen your reasoning ability and build confidence.
2. Be Honest With Your Answers
This applies to the self-assessment part of the Civil Service Judgement Test in particular. GOV.UK asks you to answer honestly, as you may be asked about your answers at interview. Your test answers must also be your own, with no help from anyone else.
3. Use the Success Profiles Framework
The Civil Service uses Success Profiles to decide what each role needs, and the job advert tells you which elements will be assessed. Read the advert and note the behaviours, strengths, ability, experience and technical elements it names, then reference the framework to learn more about each. This understanding will be helpful at every stage, from initial application to interview.
4. Use the STAR Technique
Interview questions are usually based on the behaviours named in the job advert, and you may also be asked strengths questions about what you enjoy and do well. For behaviour questions, the Civil Service suggests the STAR method: describe the situation, the task, the action you took and the result.
