Department for Work and Pensions permanent secretary Sir Peter Schofield has announced that he will step down from the role later this year.
In a message to colleagues, seen by CSW, Schofield said he would step down in July after 35 years in the civil service and ten years at the DWP.
Schofield said: “My decision to leave the department is not one I have taken lightly. It has been an absolute privilege to serve, first as director general, finance and then as your permanent secretary.
“When I first became permanent secretary, I wrote to colleagues stating there was no better department in the civil service to work for, given the difference we make to the lives of so many people. This could not be truer as I write this note eight years later. I have met so many of you over the years and seen first-hand the incredible work you do and the difference you make. It is your endless commitment to delivery, and your determination to support each other and our customers that makes this such a special and important place to work.
“There is never a good moment to step away from a job like this, but having passed my eight-year anniversary, now feels like a good time to pause and reflect on what I want to do next while spending more time with my family”.
Schofield joined the DWP in 2016 as director general for finance and became perm sec in 2018. Other departments he has worked in during his 35 years in the civil service include HM Treasury and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Schofield said one of the biggest highlights of his decade at DWP was “the massive achievement of completing the rollout of Universal Credit for our working age customers”.
He said this “paved the way for our transformation journey – and our continued focus on doing things better for our customers and colleagues – providing support in better and more effective ways”.
Schofield also said that he will “always be most proud of the way colleagues came together during the pandemic, and how we were there for people when they needed us the most”.
In an interview with CSW in late 2023, Schofield said Universal Credit was a “classic” example of the opportunities that transformation programmes present. “We took six benefits and took complexity out and had one benefit,” he told CSW. “We’ve put it on a digital platform – that’s taken out the need for so many people to do processing work. We’ve reinvested the savings, so we’ve now got more people in work coach roles helping people into work.”
He also Schofield described how staff "rose to the challenge" when millions of people came to DWP for the first time during the pandemic, and said officials "felt really empowered and proud of what they’d done".
In his message to colleagues today, Schofield added: “There will be plenty of time to say goodbye before July. When the time comes, you will have no bigger champion than me as you continue to deliver unprecedented welfare and employment support reform while modernising our services.
“We go on delivering for the people we serve, demonstrating our DWP values in all we do. Thank you for your continued support.”
The cabinet secretary will shortly begin the process of identifying Schofield’s successor.