Society and welfare

3 Minutes

News Society and welfare

DWP chief predicts work-coach chatbot and pushes for frontline digital skills

Sam Trendall February 4, 2026

Appearing before MPs, perm sec suggests that, in time, Universal Credit claimants could sometimes interact with technology, rather than officials, while also citing the need to boost staff tech credentials […]...

5 Minutes

News Society and welfare

HMRC restores 17,000 child benefit claims after data-sharing bungle

Jim Dunton January 23, 2026

The department stopped payments based on Home Office data concerning comings and goings from the UK, but many of those flagged never left the country or returned via alternative routes […]...

3 Minutes

News Society and welfare

Government consults on proposal to limit social media to over-16s

Ruaraidh Gilmour January 21, 2026

Ministers have commenced a public feedback process to gather insights on the potential effectiveness of a major policy switch to ban children from accessing platforms such as X and Facebook […]...

11 Minutes

Features Highlights Society and welfare

What is the cost of DWP’s UC anti-fraud algorithm?

Sam Trendall January 21, 2026

The tech tool has been subject to criticism and controversy since being launched by the department five years ago. PublicTechnology investigates recent disclosures about its technical operation and financial return. […]...

4 Minutes

News Society and welfare

DSIT creates CustomerFirst team to unite ‘best civil service operators and leading private sector disruptors’

Sam Trendall January 17, 2026

A new Whitehall unit, unveiled as part of government’s digital roadmap, has been created to replicate the best customer service of the private sector in the delivery of public services […]...

5 Minutes

News Society and welfare

Debate over government’s X usage as Ofcom confirms formal probe

PublicTechnology staff January 13, 2026

As online safety watchdog prepares to examine whether it has breached UK law, the Labour administration is being given conflicting advice on whether to remain on the social media site […]...

4 Minutes

News Society and welfare

MPs seek reassurance on DWP’s ‘highly challenging’ legacy IT plans

Sam Trendall January 12, 2026

An influential group of parliamentarians has welcomed transformation and upgrade ambitions set out by the benefits department, but is now asking for more specific targets and timelines to be provided […]...

3 Minutes

News Society and welfare

Regulators reveal ‘urgent contact’ with X over nudifying concerns

Ruaraidh Gilmour and PublicTechnology staff January 8, 2026

There have been reports that the social media site’s Grok AI system is being used by people online to create naked and sexualised images without consent, including content featuring children […]...

4 Minutes

News Society and welfare

Government adds privacy and societal impact to data-use principles – but acknowledges likely ‘ethical trade-offs’

Sam Trendall January 5, 2026

For the first time in half a decade, GDS has updated a framework which provides advice and proposals to ensure that ethics are embedded in information and artificial intelligence schemes […]...

3 Minutes

News Society and welfare

‘This is the DWP’s biggest and most significant transformation in a generation’

PublicTechnology staff December 31, 2025

The departmental head looks back after a busy year that has taken in a ‘fundamental reshape’ of the government organisation, as well as a tricky trip through some alpine scenery […]...

PublicTechnology

Society and welfare

DWP chief predicts work-coach chatbot and pushes for frontline digital skills

HMRC restores 17,000 child benefit claims after data-sharing bungle

Government consults on proposal to limit social media to over-16s

What is the cost of DWP’s UC anti-fraud algorithm?

DSIT creates CustomerFirst team to unite ‘best civil service operators and leading private sector disruptors’

Debate over government’s X usage as Ofcom confirms formal probe

MPs seek reassurance on DWP’s ‘highly challenging’ legacy IT plans

Regulators reveal ‘urgent contact’ with X over nudifying concerns

Government adds privacy and societal impact to data-use principles – but acknowledges likely ‘ethical trade-offs’

‘This is the DWP’s biggest and most significant transformation in a generation’

Government risks ‘doing the wrong thing efficiently’, civil servants warn in new research

Hitachi Solutions demonstrates secure use of Microsoft tools with AWS data in major win for government cloud interoperability

Only 1% of managers call their hiring ‘very effective’ – Civica research shows why

Beyond the iron fist: What civil servants say will really cut Whitehall waste

Watch: Does the civil service have the skills to get the most out of AI?