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Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

  • Date 3 July 2026
  • Sector Central government
  • Decision(s) FOI 10: Upheld, FOI 12: Upheld, FOI 16: Upheld

The complainant has requested information on internal process reviews. The Commissioner’s decision is that DWP is not entitled to rely on section 12(2) to refuse to confirm or deny whether the requested information is held. The Commissioner requires DWP to issue a fresh response to the request that does not rely on section 12(2) of FOIA and confirms whether or not the information is held. If the information is held, DWP must either disclose this or issue a refusal notice compliant with the requirements of section 17. 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 the Act and may be dealt with as a contempt of court.