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Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom


Member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom

FieldValue
postUnited Kingdom
Secretary of State
for Work and Pensions
insigniaCoat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
insigniacaptionRoyal Arms of His Majesty's Government
departmentDepartment for Work and Pensions
imagePat McFadden Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped).jpg
incumbentPat McFadden
incumbentsince5 September 2025
style
typeMinister of the Crown
statusSecretary of State
member_of
reports_toThe Prime Minister
seatWestminster
nominatorThe Prime Minister
appointerThe Monarch
appointer_qualified(on the advice of the Prime Minister)
termlengthAt His Majesty's Pleasure
formation
salary£159,038 per annum (2022)
(including £86,584 MP salary)
deputyMinister of State for Employment
firstGeorge Barnes(as Minister for Pensions)

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (including £86,584 MP salary) The secretary of state for work and pensions, also referred to as the work and pensions secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Department for Work and Pensions. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.

The office holder works alongside the other work and pensions ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for work and pensions. The performance of the secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

The office is currently held by Pat McFadden.

Responsibilities

Corresponding to what is generally known as a labour minister in many other countries, the work and pensions secretary's remit includes:

  • Support people of working age
  • Oversight of employers and pensions
  • Fiscal Consolidation
  • Providing support for disability
  • Support for families and children

History

It was created on 8 June 2001 by the merger of the employment division of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security.

The Ministry of Pensions was created in 1916 to handle the payment of war pensions to former members of the Armed Forces and their dependants. In 1944 a separate Ministry of National Insurance (titled the Ministry of Social Insurance until 17 November 1944) was formed; the two merged in 1953 as the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance. In 1966 the Ministry was renamed the Ministry of Social Security, but this was short-lived, as the ministry merged with the Ministry of Health in 1968 to form the Department of Health and Social Security. Confusingly, the secretary of state responsible for this department was titled the Secretary of State for Social Services. The department was de-merged in 1988, creating the separate Department of Health and Department of Social Security.

List of ministers and secretaries of state

Colour key (for political parties): / / / /

Minister of Pensions (1916–1953)

Main article: Ministry of Pensions#Ministers

MinisterTerm of officePolitical partyCabinetLabour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Liberal Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"
[[File:George Nicoll Barnes.png60px]]George Nicoll Barnes10 December 191617 August 1917LabourLloyd George
[[File:John Hodge.JPG60px]]John Hodge17 August 191710 January 1919Labour
[[File:Worthington-Evans MP.jpg60px]]Laming Worthington-Evans10 January 19192 April 1920Conservative
[[File:Ian Macpherson.jpg60px]]Ian Macpherson2 April 192019 October 1922Liberal
[[File:Lord Tyron.jpg60px]]George Tryon31 October 192222 January 1924ConservativeLaw
Baldwin I
[[File:Frederick Owen Rogers.png60px]]Frederick Roberts23 January 19243 November 1924LabourMacDonald I
[[File:Lord Tyron.jpg60px]]George Tryon11 November 19244 June 1929ConservativeBaldwin II
[[File:Frederick Owen Rogers.png60px]]Frederick Roberts7 June 192924 August 1931LabourMacDonald II
[[File:Lord Tyron.jpg60px]]George Tryon3 September 193118 June 1935ConservativeNational I
National II
[[File:Viscount Hudson.jpg60px]]Robert Hudson18 June 193530 July 1936ConservativeNational III
[[File:Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury.jpg60px]]Herwald Ramsbotham30 July 19367 June 1939Conservative
National IV
[[File:Sir Walter Womersley.jpg60px]]Walter Womersley7 June 193926 July 1945ConservativeChamberlain War
Churchill War
Churchill Caretaker
[[File:Wilfred Paling.jpg60px]]Wilfred Paling3 August 194517 April 1947LabourAttlee
John Burns Hynd17 April 19477 October 1947Labour
[[File:George Buchanan.jpg60px]]George Buchanan7 October 19472 July 1948Labour
[[File:Hilary Marquand.png60px]]Hilary Marquand2 July 194817 January 1951Labour
[[File:Blank.png60px]]George Isaacs17 January 195126 October 1951Labour
[[File:Derick Heathcoat-Amory.png60px]]Derick Heathcoat-Amory5 November 19513 September 1953ConservativeChurchill III

Minister of Social Insurance/National Insurance (1944–1953)

MinisterTerm of officePolitical partyCabinetLabour Party (UK)}}"National Independent}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"
[[File:William Jowitt.png60px]]William Jowitt8 October 194423 May 1945LabourChurchill War
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Leslie Hore-Belisha25 May 194526 July 1945National IndependentChurchill Caretaker
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Jim Griffiths4 August 194528 February 1950LabourAttlee
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Edith Summerskill28 February 195026 October 1951Labour
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Osbert Peake31 October 19513 September 1953ConservativeChurchill III
Posts of Minister of Pensions and Minister of National Insurance merged in 1953.

Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1953–1966)

Main article: Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance#Ministers

MinisterTerm of officePolitical partyCabinetConservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Osbert Peake3 September 195320 December 1955ConservativeChurchill III
Eden
[[File:Blank.png60px]]John Boyd-Carpenter20 December 195516 July 1962Conservative
Macmillan I
Macmillan II
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Niall Macpherson16 July 196221 October 1963Conservative
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Richard Wood21 October 196316 October 1964ConservativeDouglas-Home
Margaret Herbison18 October 19646 August 1966LabourWilson I

{{Anchor|Minister of Social Security}}Minister of Social Security (1966–1968)

Main article: Ministry of Social Security (United Kingdom)#Ministers

MinisterTerm of officePolitical partyCabinetLabour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"
Margaret Herbison6 August 196626 July 1967LabourWilson II
Judith Hart26 July 19671 November 1968Labour

Secretary of State for Social Services (1968–1988)

Main article: Secretary of State for Social Services

Secretary of StateTerm of officePolitical partyCabinetLabour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"
[[File:Crossland MP.jpg60px]]Richard Crossman1 November 196819 June 1970LabourWilson II
[[File:Sir Keith Joseph visits Llangefni and Caernarfon (1469270) Crop.jpg60px]]Keith Joseph20 June 19704 March 1974ConservativeHeath
[[File:Barbara Castle, 1965 (cropped).jpg60px]]Barbara Castle5 March 19748 April 1976LabourWilson III
Wilson IV
[[File:David Ennals.jpg60px]]David Ennals8 April 19764 May 1979LabourCallaghan
Patrick Jenkin5 May 197913 September 1981ConservativeThatcher I
[[File:Official portrait of Lord Fowler crop 2.jpg60px]]Norman Fowler14 September 198113 June 1987ConservativeThatcher II
[[File:Mr John Moore M.P. addressing the Annual LSE Society Dinner, 5th June, 1985.jpg60px]]John Moore13 June 198724 July 1988ConservativeThatcher III

Post split into the Secretary of State for Social Security and the Secretary of State for Health in 1988.

Secretary of State for Social Security (1988–2001)

Main article: Secretary of State for Social Security

Secretary of StateTerm of officePolitical partyCabinetConservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"
[[File:Mr John Moore M.P. addressing the Annual LSE Society Dinner, 5th June, 1985.jpg60px]]John Moore25 July 198822 July 1989ConservativeThatcher III
[[File:Tony Newton 1995.png60px]]Tony Newton23 July 19899 April 1992Conservative
Major I
[[File:Peter Lilley (cropped).jpg85x85px]]Peter Lilley10 April 19921 May 1997ConservativeMajor II
[[File:Harriet Harman (cropped).jpg89x89px]]Harriet Harman1 May 199727 July 1998LabourBlair I
[[File:AlistairDarlingABr cropped.jpg60px]]url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/596/careertitle=Lord Darling of Roulanishwork=UK Parliamentaccess-date=10 September 2021}}27 July 19988 June 2001Labour

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2001–present)

Secretary of StateTerm of officePolitical partyCabinetLabour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"
[[File:AlistairDarlingABr cropped.jpg60px]]Alistair Darling8 June 200129 May 2002LabourBlair II
[[File:Andrew Smith MP 20050127.jpg60px]]Andrew Smith29 May 20028 September 2004Labour
[[File:Alan Johnson -9Oct2007-2.jpg77x77px]]Alan Johnson8 September 20046 May 2005Labour
[[File:David Blunkett Government Portrait 2.jpg70x70px]]David Blunkett6 May 20052 November 2005LaboLabourBlair III
[[File:Msc 2009-Sunday, 11.00 - 12.30 Uhr-Zwez 005 Hutton detail.jpg60px]]John Hutton2 November 200528 June 2007Labour
[[File:Peter Hain Ministerial portrait (3x4 crop).jpg80x80px]]Peter Hain28 June 200724 January 2008LabourBrown
[[File:James Purnell Ministerial portrait.jpg60px]]James Purnell
MP for Stalybridge and Hyde24 January 20085 June 2009Labour
[[File:Yvette Cooper (5257912377) (tightcrop).jpg90x90px]]Yvette Cooper
MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford6 June 20096 May 2010Labour
[[File:Iain Duncan Smith, March 2012.jpg81x81px]]Iain Duncan Smith
MP for Chingford and Woodford Green
(Tenure)12 May 201018 March 2016ConservativeCameron-Clegg
Cameron II
[[File:Stephen Crabb 2015 (cropped).jpg80x80px]]Stephen Crabb
MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire19 March 201614 July 2016Conservative
[[File:Official portrait of Damian Green crop 2.jpg80x80px]]Damian Green
MP for Ashford14 July 201611 June 2017ConservativeMay I
[[File:Official portrait of Mr David Gauke crop 2.jpg60px]]David Gauke
MP for South West Hertfordshire11 June 20178 January 2018ConservativeMay II
[[File:Esther McVey Official Portrait 2018 (cropped).jpg80x80px]]Esther McVey
MP for Tatton8 January 201815 November 2018Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"[[File:ARHead and shoulders (cropped).jpg72x72px]]Amber Rudd
MP for Hastings and Rye16 November 20187 September 2019Conservative
Johnson I
Conservative Party (UK)}}"[[File:Thérèse Coffey Official Cabinet Portrait, September 2021 (cropped).jpg79x79px]]Thérèse Coffey
MP for Coastal Suffolk8 September 20196 September 2022Conservative
Johnson II
Conservative Party (UK)}}"[[File:Chloe Smith Official Cabinet Portrait, September 2022 (cropped).jpg80x80px]]Chloe Smith
MP for Norwich North6 September 202225 October 2022ConservativeTruss
Conservative Party (UK)}}"[[File:Mel Stride Official Cabinet Portrait, October 2022 (cropped).jpg80x80px]]Mel Stride
MP for Central Devon25 October 20225 July 2024ConservativeSunak
Labour Party (UK)}}"[[File:Liz Kendall Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped) 2.jpg60px]]Liz Kendall
MP for Leicester West5 July 20245 September 2025LabourStarmer
Labour Party (UK)}}"[[File:Pat McFadden Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped) 2.jpg60px]]Pat McFadden
MP for Wolverhampton South East5 September 2025IncumbentLabour
  • Incumbent's length of term last updated: .

Timeline

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DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1916 till:31/12/ TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

Colors = id:conservative value:rgb(0,0.53,0.86) legend: Conservative_and_Unionist_Party id:liberal value:rgb(1,0.84,0) legend: Liberal_Party id:labour value:rgb(0.86,0.08,0.18) legend: Labour_Party id:independent value:rgb(0.6,0.6,0.6) legend: Independent_or_no_party id:liteline value:gray(0.8) id:line value:rgb(0.3,0.3,0.3)

ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:8 start:01/01/1916 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:2 start:01/01/1916

Define $today =

TextData = pos:(20,60) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:"Political parties:"

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PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Nicoll_Barnes from: 10/12/1916 till: 17/08/1917 color:Labour text:"George Nicoll Barnes" bar:Hodge from: 17/08/1917 till: 10/01/1919 color:Labour text:"John Hodge" bar:Worthington-Evans from: 10/01/1919 till: 02/04/1920 color:Conservative text:"Laming Worthington-Evans" bar:Macpherson from: 02/04/1920 till: 19/10/1922 color:Liberal text:"Ian Macpherson" bar:Tryon from: 31/10/1922 till: 22/01/1924 color:Conservative from: 11/11/1924 till: 04/06/1929 color:Conservative from: 03/09/1931 till: 18/06/1935 color:Conservative text:"George Tryon" bar:Roberts from: 23/01/1924 till: 03/11/1924 color:Labour from: 07/06/1929 till: 24/08/1931 color:Labour text:"Frederick Roberts" bar:Hudson from: 18/06/1935 till: 30/07/1936 color:Conservative text:"Robert Hudson" bar:Ramsbotham from: 30/07/1936 till: 07/06/1939 color:Conservative text:"Herwald Ramsbotham" bar:Womersley from: 07/06/1939 till: 26/07/1945 color:Conservative text:"Walter Womersley" bar:Jowitt from: 08/10/1944 till: 23/05/1945 color:Labour text:"William Jowitt" bar:Hore-Belisha from: 25/05/1945 till: 26/07/1945 color:Independent text:"Leslie Hore-Belisha" bar:Paling from: 03/08/1945 till: 17/04/1947 color:Labour text:"Wilfred Paling" bar:Griffiths from: 04/08/1945 till: 28/01/1950 color:Labour text:"Jim Griffiths" bar:Burns_Hynd from: 17/04/1947 till: 07/10/1947 color:Labour text:"John Burns Hynd" bar:Buchanan from: 07/10/1947 till: 02/07/1948 color:Labour text:"George Buchanan" bar:Marquand from: 02/07/1948 till: 17/01/1951 color:Labour text:"Hilary Marquand" bar:Summerskill from: 28/02/1950 till: 26/10/1951 color:Labour text:"Edith Summerskill" bar:Isaacs from: 17/01/1951 till: 26/10/1951 color:Labour text:"George Isaacs" bar:Heathcoat-Amory from: 05/11/1951 till: 03/09/1953 color:Conservative text:"Derick Heathcoat-Amory" bar:Peake from: 31/10/1951 till: 20/12/1955 color:Conservative text:"Osbert Peake" bar:Boyd-Carpenter from: 20/12/1955 till: 16/07/1962 color:Conservative text:"John Boyd-Carpenter" bar:NMacpherson from: 16/07/1962 till: 21/10/1963 color:Conservative text:"Niall Macpherson" bar:Wood from: 21/10/1963 till: 16/10/1964 color:Conservative text:"Richard Wood" bar:Herbison from: 18/10/1964 till: 26/07/1967 color:Labour text:"Margaret Herbison" bar:Hart from: 26/07/1967 till: 01/11/1968 color:Labour text:"Judith Hart" bar:Crossman from: 01/11/1968 till: 19/06/1970 color:Labour text:"Richard Crossman" bar:Joseph from: 20/06/1970 till: 04/03/1974 color:Conservative text:"Keith Joseph" bar:Castle from: 05/03/1974 till: 08/04/1976 color:Labour text:"Barbara Castle" bar:Ennals from: 08/04/1976 till: 04/05/1979 color:Labour text:"David Ennals" bar:Jenkin from: 05/05/1979 till: 13/09/1981 color:Conservative text:"Patrick Jenkin" bar:Fowler from: 14/09/1981 till: 13/06/1987 color:Conservative text:"Norman Fowler" bar:Moore from: 13/06/1987 till: 22/07/1989 color:Conservative text:"John Moore" bar:Newton from: 23/07/1989 till: 09/04/1992 color:Conservative text:"Tony Newton" bar:Lilley from: 10/04/1992 till: 01/05/1997 color:Conservative text:"Peter Lilley" bar:Harman from: 01/05/1997 till: 27/07/1998 color:Labour text:"Harriet Harman" bar:Darling from: 27/07/1998 till: 29/05/2002 color:Labour text:"Alistair Darling" bar:Smith from: 29/05/2002 till: 08/09/2004 color:Labour text:"Andrew Smith" bar:Johnson from: 08/09/2004 till: 06/05/2005 color:Labour text:"Alan Johnson" bar:Blunkett from: 06/05/2005 till: 02/11/2005 color:Labour text:"David Blunkett" bar:Hutton from: 02/11/2005 till: 28/06/2007 color:Labour text:"John Hutton" bar:Hain from: 28/06/2007 till: 24/01/2008 color:Labour text:"Peter Hain" bar:Purnell from: 24/01/2008 till: 05/06/2009 color:Labour text:"James Purnell" bar:Cooper from: 06/06/2009 till: 06/05/2010 color:Labour text:"Yvette Cooper" bar:Duncan_Smith from: 06/05/2010 till: 18/03/2016 color:Conservative text:"Iain Duncan Smith" bar:Crabb from: 19/03/2016 till: 14/07/2016 color:Conservative text:"Stephen Crabb" bar:Green from: 14/07/2016 till: 11/06/2017 color:Conservative text:"Damian Green" bar:Gauke from: 11/06/2017 till: 08/01/2018 color:Conservative text:"David Gauke" bar:McVey from: 08/01/2018 till: 15/11/2018 color:Conservative text:"Esther McVey" bar:Rudd from: 16/11/2018 till: 07/09/2019 color:Conservative text:"Amber Rudd" bar:Coffey from: 08/09/2019 till: 06/09/2022 color:Conservative text:"Thérèse Coffey" bar:CSmith from: 06/09/2022 till: 25/10/2022 color:Conservative text:"Chloe Smith" bar:Stride from: 25/10/2022 till: 05/07/2024 color:Conservative text:"Mel Stride" bar:Kendall from: 05/07/2024 till: 05/07/2025 color:Labour text:"Liz Kendall" bar:McFadden from: 05/07/2025 till: $today color:Labour text:"Pat McFadden"

References

References

  1. (15 December 2022). "Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23".
  2. "Pay and expenses for MPs".
  3. "Secretary of State for Work and Pensions".
  4. "Secretary of State for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK".
  5. "A century of support: Department for Work and Pensions turns 100 years old".
  6. "Lord Jenkin of Roding". UK Parliament.
  7. "Lord Fowler". UK Parliament.
  8. "Lord Moore of Lower Marsh". UK Parliament.
  9. "Lord Newton of Braintree". UK Parliament.
  10. "Lord Lilley". UK Parliament.
  11. "Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP". UK Parliament.
  12. "Lord Darling of Roulanish". UK Parliament.
  13. "Rt Hon Andrew Smith". UK Parliament.
  14. "Rt Hon Alan Johnson". UK Parliament.
  15. "Lord Blunkett". UK Parliament.
  16. "Lord Hutton of Furness". UK Parliament.
  17. "Lord Hain". UK Parliament.
  18. "James Purnell". UK Parliament.
  19. "Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP". UK Parliament.
  20. "Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP". UK Parliament.
  21. "Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP". UK Parliament.
  22. "Rt Hon Damian Green MP". UK Parliament.
  23. "Rt Hon David Gauke". UK Parliament.
  24. "Rt Hon Esther McVey MP". UK Parliament.
  25. "Rt Hon Amber Rudd". UK Parliament.
  26. "Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP". UK Parliament.
  27. "Chloe Smith MP".
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