Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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 and the shadow secretary of state for the future of work. The performance of the secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

The office is currently held by Liz Kendall.

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): /  /  /  /

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan=8 |

Minister of Pensions (1916–1953)
! colspan=3 | Minister ! colspan=2 | Term of office ! Political party ! colspan=2 | Prime Minister
 * - style="height:1em"

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * George Nicoll Barnes.png
 * George Nicoll Barnes
 * 10 December 1916
 * 17 August 1917
 * Labour
 * rowspan=4 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=4 | David Lloyd George (Coalition)

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * John Hodge.JPG
 * John Hodge
 * 17 August 1917
 * 10 January 1919
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Laming Worthington-Evans
 * 10 January 1919
 * 2 April 1920
 * Conservative

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Ian Macpherson
 * 2 April 1920
 * 19 October 1922
 * Liberal

! rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 | Blank.png
 * rowspan=2 | George Tryon
 * rowspan=2 | 31 October 1922
 * rowspan=2 | 22 January 1924
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * Bonar Law
 * Stanley Baldwin
 * Stanley Baldwin

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Frederick Roberts
 * 23 January 1924
 * 3 November 1924
 * Labour
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Ramsay MacDonald

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * George Tryon
 * 11 November 1924
 * 4 June 1929
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Stanley Baldwin

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Frederick Roberts
 * 7 June 1929
 * 24 August 1931
 * Labour
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Ramsay MacDonald

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * George Tryon
 * 3 September 1931
 * 18 June 1935
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Ramsay MacDonald (1st & 2nd National Min.)

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Robert Hudson
 * 18 June 1935
 * 30 July 1936
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:; border-bottom:solid 0 gray" |
 * rowspan=2 | Stanley Baldwin (3rd National Min.)

! rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 | Blank.png
 * rowspan=2 | Herwald Ramsbotham
 * rowspan=2 | 30 July 1936
 * rowspan=2 | 7 June 1939
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * style="background-color:; border-top:solid 0 gray" |


 * - style="height:1em"
 * style="background-color:; border-bottom:solid 0 gray" |
 * rowspan=2 | Neville Chamberlain (4th Nat.Min.; War Coalition)

! rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 | Blank.png
 * rowspan=2 | Walter Womersley
 * rowspan=2 | 7 June 1939
 * rowspan=2 | 26 July 1945
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * style="background-color:; border-top:solid 0 gray" |


 * - style="height:1em"
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Winston Churchill (War Coalition; Caretaker Min.)

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Wilfred Paling
 * 3 August 1945
 * 17 April 1947
 * Labour
 * rowspan=5 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=5 | Clement Attlee

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * John Burns Hynd
 * 17 April 1947
 * 7 October 1947
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * George Buchanan
 * 7 October 1947
 * 2 July 1948
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Hilary Marquand
 * 2 July 1948
 * 17 January 1951
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * George Isaacs
 * 17 January 1951
 * 26 October 1951
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Derick Heathcoat-Amory
 * 5 November 1951
 * 3 September 1953
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Winston Churchill

! colspan=8 |

Minister of Social Insurance/National Insurance (1944–1953)
! colspan=3 | Minister ! colspan=2 | Term of office ! Political party ! colspan=2 | Prime Minister
 * - style="height:1em"

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * William Jowitt.png
 * William Jowitt
 * 8 October 1944
 * 23 May 1945
 * Labour
 * rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * Winston Churchill (War Coalition)

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Leslie Hore-Belisha
 * 25 May 1945
 * 26 July 1945
 * National Independent
 * Winston Churchill (Caretaker Min.)

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Jim Griffiths
 * 4 August 1945
 * 28 February 1950
 * Labour
 * rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=2 | Clement Attlee

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Edith Summerskill
 * 28 February 1950
 * 26 October 1951
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Osbert Peake
 * 31 October 1951
 * 3 September 1953
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Winston Churchill


 * colspan=9 | Posts of Minister of Pensions and Minister of National Insurance merged in 1953.
 * colspan=9 | Posts of Minister of Pensions and Minister of National Insurance merged in 1953.


 * colspan=9 |
 * colspan=9 |

Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1953–1966)
! colspan=3 | Minister ! colspan=2 | Term of office ! Political party ! colspan=2 | Prime Minister

! rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 | Blank.png
 * rowspan=2 | Osbert Peake
 * rowspan=2 | 3 September 1953
 * rowspan=2 | 20 December 1955
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Winston Churchill


 * - style="height:1em"
 * style="background-color:; border-bottom:solid 0 gray" |
 * rowspan=2 | Anthony Eden

! rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 | Blank.png
 * rowspan=2 | John Boyd-Carpenter
 * rowspan=2 | 20 December 1955
 * rowspan=2 | 16 July 1962
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * style="background-color:; border-top:solid 0 gray" |


 * - style="height:1em"
 * style="background-color:; border-bottom:solid 0 gray" |
 * rowspan=2 | Harold Macmillan

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Niall Macpherson
 * 16 July 1962
 * 21 October 1963
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:; border-top:solid 0 gray" |

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Richard Wood
 * 21 October 1963
 * 16 October 1964
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Alec Douglas-Home

! style="background-color:" | ! colspan=9 |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Margaret Herbison
 * 18 October 1964
 * 6 August 1966
 * Labour
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Harold Wilson
 * Harold Wilson

Minister of Social Security (1966–1968)
! colspan=3 | Minister ! colspan=2 | Term of office ! Political party ! colspan=2 | Prime Minister
 * - style="height:1em"

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Margaret Herbison
 * 6 August 1966
 * 26 July 1967
 * Labour
 * rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=2 | Harold Wilson
 * rowspan=2 | Harold Wilson

! style="background-color:" | ! colspan=9 |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Judith Hart
 * 26 July 1967
 * 1 November 1968
 * Labour

Secretary of State for Health and Social Services (1968–1988)
! colspan=3 | Secretary of State ! colspan=2 | Term of office ! Political party ! colspan=2 | Prime Minister
 * - style="height:1em"

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Richard Crossman
 * 1 November 1968
 * 19 June 1970
 * Labour
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Harold Wilson

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Keith Joseph
 * 20 June 1970
 * 4 March 1974
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Edward Heath

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Mme Barbara Castle, Ministre britannique du développement outre-mer.jpg
 * Barbara Castle
 * 5 March 1974
 * 8 April 1976
 * Labour
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Harold Wilson

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * David Ennals
 * 8 April 1976
 * 4 May 1979
 * Labour
 * style="background-color:" |
 * James Callaghan

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Patrick Jenkin
 * 5 May 1979
 * 13 September 1981
 * Conservative
 * rowspan=3 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=3 | Margaret Thatcher

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * Norman Fowler
 * 14 September 1981
 * 13 June 1987
 * Conservative

! style="background-color:" | ! colspan=9 |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Blank.png
 * John Moore
 * 13 June 1987
 * 24 July 1988
 * Conservative
 * colspan=9 | Post split into the Secretary of State for Social Security and the Secretary of State for Health in 1988.
 * colspan=9 | 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)
! colspan=3 | Secretary of State ! colspan=2 | Term of office ! Political party ! colspan=2 | Prime Minister
 * - style="height:1em"

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Mr John Moore M.P. addressing the Annual LSE Society Dinner, 5th June, 1985.jpg
 * John Moore
 * 25 July 1988
 * 22 July 1989
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:; border-bottom:solid 0 gray" |
 * rowspan=2 | Margaret Thatcher

! rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 | Tony Newton 1995.png
 * rowspan=2 | Tony Newton
 * rowspan=2 | 23 July 1989
 * rowspan=2 | 9 April 1992
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * style="background-color:; border-top:solid 0 gray" |


 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=2 | John Major

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Official portrait of Lord Lilley, 2022.jpg
 * Peter Lilley
 * 10 April 1992
 * 1 May 1997
 * Conservative

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Official portrait of Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP crop 2.jpg
 * Harriet Harman
 * 1 May 1997
 * 27 July 1998
 * Labour
 * rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=2 | Tony Blair

! style="background-color:" | ! colspan=9 |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * AlistairDarlingABr cropped.jpg
 * Alistair Darling
 * 27 July 1998
 * 8 June 2001
 * Labour

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2001–present)
! colspan=3 | Secretary of State ! colspan=2 | Term of office ! Political party ! colspan=2 | Prime Minister
 * - style="height:1em"

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * AlistairDarlingABr cropped.jpg
 * Alistair Darling
 * 8 June 2001
 * 29 May 2002
 * Labour
 * rowspan=5 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=5 | Tony Blair

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Andrew Smith MP 20050127.jpg
 * Andrew Smith
 * 29 May 2002
 * 8 September 2004
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Alan_Johnson_MP.jpg
 * Alan Johnson
 * 8 September 2004
 * 6 May 2005
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Official Portrait of Lord Blunkett crop 1.jpg
 * David Blunkett
 * 6 May 2005
 * 2 November 2005
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Msc 2009-Sunday, 11.00 - 12.30 Uhr-Zwez 005 Hutton detail.jpg
 * John Hutton
 * 2 November 2005
 * 28 June 2007
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Official portrait of Lord Hain crop 2, 2019.jpg
 * Peter Hain
 * 28 June 2007
 * 24 January 2008
 * Labour
 * rowspan=3 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=3 | Gordon Brown

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * James Purnell Ministerial portrait.jpg
 * James Purnell MP for Stalybridge and Hyde
 * 24 January 2008
 * 5 June 2009
 * Labour

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Official portrait of Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP crop 2.jpg
 * Yvette Cooper MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford
 * 6 June 2009
 * 6 May 2010
 * Labour

! rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 | Official portrait of Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP crop 2.jpg
 * rowspan=2 | Iain Duncan Smith MP for Chingford and Woodford Green
 * 12 May 2010
 * 18 March 2016
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * rowspan=3 style="background-color:" |
 * David Cameron (Coalition)
 * colspan=2 style="text-align:center" |Duncan Smith's tenure
 * rowspan=2 | David Cameron (II)
 * rowspan=2 | David Cameron (II)

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Official portrait of Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP crop 2.jpg
 * Stephen Crabb MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire
 * 19 March 2016
 * 14 July 2016
 * Conservative

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Official portrait of Rt Hon Damian Green MP crop 2.jpg
 * Damian Green MP for Ashford
 * 14 July 2016
 * 11 June 2017
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Theresa May (I)

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Official portrait of Mr David Gauke crop 2.jpg
 * David Gauke MP for South West Hertfordshire
 * 11 June 2017
 * 8 January 2018
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:; border-bottom:solid 0 gray" |
 * rowspan=3 | Theresa May (II)

! style="background-color:" |
 * - style="height:1em"
 * Official portrait of Esther McVey crop 2.jpg
 * Esther McVey MP for Tatton
 * 8 January 2018
 * 15 November 2018
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:; border-bottom:solid 0 gray; border-top:solid 0 gray" |


 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=2 | Official_portrait_of_Amber_Rudd_crop_2.jpg
 * rowspan=2 | Amber Rudd MP for Hastings and Rye
 * rowspan=2 | 16 November 2018
 * rowspan=2 | 7 September 2019
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * height=40 style="background-color:; border-top:solid 0 gray" |


 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=3 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=2|Boris Johnson (I)


 * - style="height:1em"
 * rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
 * rowspan=2 | Official portrait of Dr Thérèse Coffey crop 2.jpg
 * rowspan=2 | Thérèse Coffey MP for Coastal Suffolk
 * rowspan=2 | 8 September 2019
 * rowspan=2 | 6 September 2022
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * Boris Johnson (II)
 * Boris Johnson (II)


 * - style="height:1em"
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Official portrait of Chloe Smith MP crop 2.jpg
 * Chloe Smith MP for Norwich North
 * 6 September 2022
 * 25 October 2022
 * Conservative
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Liz Truss (I)


 * - style="height:1em"
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Official portrait of Rt Hon Mel Stride MP crop 2.jpg
 * Mel Stride MP for Central Devon
 * 25 October 2022
 * 5 July 2024
 * Conservative
 * rowspan=1 style="background-color:" |
 * Rishi Sunak (I)


 * - style="height:1em"
 * style="background-color:" |
 * Liz Kendall Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped) 2.jpg
 * Liz Kendall MP for Leicester West
 * 5 July 2024
 * Incumbent
 * Labour
 * rowspan=1 style="background-color:" |
 * Keir Starmer (I)
 * }

* Incumbent's length of term last updated:.