§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what(a) research and (b) evaluation his Department has commissioned into customer service in the Pension Service since the relocation of pension work from local offices in the South East region to pension centres elsewhere; and if he will make a statement. [151533]
§ Malcolm WicksThe Pension Service commissioned BMRB Social Research to conduct research on customers' experience of, attitudes towards and satisfaction with our service in its first year. The survey is an important demonstration of our commitment to understanding and responding to customer requirements and will assist in future service development.
The survey findings are based on approximately 4,300 face-to-face interviews with a random sample of current pensioners, their representatives and future pensioners who had contact with The Pension Service during the first half of 2003. The findings are the first nationally representative assessment of how The Pension Service is delivering to its customers. The report will be published shortly.
In addition, the Department has recently commissioned research to examine service delivery to older people with special needs and customers who represent older people.
The Pension Service will introduce a national mystery shopping programme from April 2004. This will provide an independent, robust, and real time measure of our customer service delivery. It will drive improvement activity in areas of high importance to our customers.