This campaign is to right the wrong that has been inflicted upon several thousand current and former Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Fraud Investigators who's jobs were incorrectly regraded by our employer. As a result several thousand current employees are being underpaid and lower pensions have been awarded to former retired employees. We ask for your support to help fund our action, an action that may benefit you. 

A brief history of our case:  

Around 2002 the DWP conducted a review of the Fraud Investigators role. It was found to be a specialist role but no increase in pay or grading was made by the DWP.

After a number of requests over several years in April 2014 the DWP agreed to undertake a Job Evaluation and Grading Support (JEGS) review which commenced in October 2015. 

In June 2016 the outcome of the exercise was notified to all DWP investigators. A small group of around 100 investigators dealing with organised fraud cases were elevated to the Higher Executive Officer (HEO) grade. The remaining 2500 local service investigators, involved in the day to day investigation of fraud cases, remained at the lower Executive Officer (EO) grade.

Following this oucome in August 2016 a group of local service investigators met David Foley, the then Head of Fraud Investigation, and requested an explanation of the JEGS scoring process. David Foley failed to provide an adequate explanation for the scoring process or an explanation as to why the local service investigators had been scored markedly differently to colleagues dealing with organised cases. Despite repeated requests the DWP has not disclosed anything that might assist understanding how the JEGS scores were reached. 

We reached a position where, having taken legal advice, in 2019 our legal representatives issued a claim against the DWP in the High Court. Progress of our claim can be seen here. 

A final hearing expected to commence on 3rd June 2025. 

Despite several members of our action being union members, PCS have not supported us. General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, informed us he would look into why the union had not offered us any assistance but despite his assurance we heard nothing more. 

Since April 2018 over 100 current and former Local Service Investigators have voluntarily made regular monthly contributions to fund this action. As seen in the recent Post Office action, legal action is expensive, and subject to delays sometimes caused by the defendants legal representatives. Should you wish to make contributions to support this action please do so via this campaign.

If we are successfully regraded to HEO all local service investigators, as well as those that have left the DWP or retired, are likely to benefit from our action. 

This is our one and only opportunity to rectify this injustice. Please do not let this opportunity pass you by. 

Please donate what you can afford and share with your contacts. 

Thank you