Department for Work and Pensions

The complainant has requested information in Internal Process Reviews (IPRs). The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) withheld the information on the basis of section 21, information reasonably accessible to the applicant, and section 22, information intended for future publication. The complainant did not dispute DWP’s reliance on section 21 and 22 in respect of questions 1 and 2. The Commissioner’s decision is that DWP is not entitled to rely on section 22 to withhold the information falling within the scope of the remainder of the request. The Commissioner requires DWP to disclose the information falling within questions 3 and 4 and the request for IPR recommendations relating to Universal Credit. The public authority must take these steps within 30 calendar days of the date of this decision notice. Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner making written certification of this fact to the High Court pursuant to section 54 of FOIA and may be dealt with as a contempt of court. Information Tribunal FT/EA/2024/0308 under appeal.