Overview

• A DWP FOI response says the standard retention policy remains paused, but once the embargo ends the department will consider deleting records deemed no longer required.
• Pension files are normally erased four years after death, and lifting the pause could remove records for 2017–2020 deaths, roughly two million in total by Sir Steve Webb’s estimate.
• Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb warns that deleting legacy files would make it virtually impossible to fix past errors and pay arrears to families.
• DWP figures show around 194,000 people were affected by Home Responsibilities Protection errors, including about 43,000 who died without benefiting, with underpayments estimated at £127 million.
• The DWP says no decision has been made to revert to routine deletions and reports reviewing over 900,000 records with more than £900 million in arrears paid, as Webb writes to Permanent Secretary Sir Peter Schofield urging continued retention.