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 efforts 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.

In August 2016 a small group of local service investigators met David Foley, the 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 have now reached a position where, having taken legal advice, our legal representatives will, in the coming weeks, issue a claim against the DWP in the High Court. 

We acknowledge the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union were instrumental in arranging the JEGS exercise. Unfortunately 3 years after the JEGS result was published PCS, despite assurances they would campaign on our behalf, has not supported the regrading of local service investigators. Our engagement with PCS is ongoing and we hope they will offer assistance to our legal team. A few months ago PCS General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, informed us he would look into why the union had not offered us any assistance. 

Since April 2018 over 120 current and former Local Service Investigators have voluntarily made regular monthly contributions to fund this action. Should you wish to make regular contributions to fund this action please do so via this campaign and email [email protected] for more information about setting up a standing order.

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