<p>The table below shows the number of complaints accepted by the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) for each year from 2018-19 and for this year up to 23 February for DWP including Child Maintenance Service (CMS), and for CMS only. To clarify, the number accepted is not the same as the number received by ICE.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Year:</p></td><td><p><strong>Number of ICE accepted complaints for DWP*</strong> <em>(*which includes CMS)</em></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of ICE accepted complaints for CMS</strong> <strong> </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td><td><p>967</p></td><td><p>395</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2019/20</strong></p></td><td><p>821</p></td><td><p>375</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2020/21</strong></p></td><td><p>888</p></td><td><p>450</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2021/22</strong></p></td><td><p>1641</p></td><td><p>959</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2022 YTD</strong></p></td><td><p>1314</p></td><td><p>644</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /><p>To note, this data does not include all cases accepted by ICE, as it also investigates complaints about organisations who deliver contracted DWP services, the Northern Ireland Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division.</p><p> </p><p>ICE retains information on individual cases for 18 months from the date of clearance. Of the DWP cases (excluding CMS cases) currently under investigation, 115 waited longer than 12 months from the date of receipt (this is not the same as the date cases were accepted) to the date they were allocated to an investigator. Of the DWP cases (excluding CMS cases) cleared in the last 18 months, 558 had waited more than 12 months from the date of receipt (this is not the same as the date cases were accepted) to the date they were allocated to an investigator.</p><p> </p><p>Of the CMS cases currently under investigation, 243 waited longer than 12 months from the date of receipt (this is not the same as the date cases were accepted) to the date they were allocated to an investigator. Of the CMS cases cleared in the last 18 months, 627 had waited more than 12 months from the date of receipt (this is not the same as the date cases were accepted) to the date they were allocated to an investigator.</p><p> </p><p>The ICE office is continuously reviewing its own processes and operating model to improve productivity. The office recruited 11 more investigators April – December 2022, and a further 6 joined in January 2023.</p>