DWP Autism Internship Programme

ABOUT THE DWP

The DWP is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. We are the UK’s biggest public service department and administer the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.

DWP is committed to being an equal opportunities employer and we aspire to being the most inclusive employer in the United Kingdom.

You can find out more about the DWP here and more about what it’s like to work for the DWP here.

ABOUT THE ROLES

The DWP is offering internships across five different business areas. Each area offers a unique opportunity to gain experience and develop your skills.

You will be provided with full details of your role before your internship starts.

To help you decide which business areas to apply for, you can find an overview of each one below.

Administration and Business Support – About the Administration and Business Support Internships

Policy and Research – About the Policy and Research Internships

Project, Improvement and Change – About the Project, Improvement and Change Internships

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

• Be aged 18 to 25 on 1 February 2027.
• Be autistic.
• Have the right to work in the UK and meet the requirements of the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
• Are interested in a career within the Civil Service, the DWP, or the business area they are applying for.
• Can work independently and as part of a team.
• Can work with people at varying levels of ability and responsibility.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

• Applicants will need to complete an online application form for each business area they wish to apply for. For example, if you are applying for both Policy and Research and Administration and Business Support, you will need to complete two different application forms.
• Each application form will ask for your contact details and include questions about your interest in the programme and the skills and experience relevant to the business area you are
• applying for.
• The skills-based questions you will be asked are listed on the individual business area descriptions.
• Applications are anonymised before being shared with the DWP. Suitable applicants will be matched to available internship opportunities based on the information provided in their application.
• There are no interviews for these roles. All matching decisions will be based on the anonymised application forms.
• Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by the Employ Autism team during the week commencing 9 November.
• If you are offered an internship, you will need to complete security checks before you can start. As a minimum, this includes providing a current passport, completing a DBS check, supplying references and providing proof of where you have lived during the past 3 years.
• Ambitious about Autism will be available to assist you with completing these checks, help you identify any workplace adjustments you may want to request and provide support throughout the internship.
• Due to the high number of applications we receive, we are unable to provide individual feedback on applications.

There are opportunities across five different business areas within the DWP. You can apply for one business area or multiple business areas, but you will need to complete a separate application form for each one.

If your application is successful, you will be matched to a team based on factors including your location preferences and the skills and experience outlined in your application.

We are unable to accommodate requests for specific teams or roles.

Salary: £475 per week, before deductions for Tax and National Insurance.

Location: Internships are available in a range of towns and cities across England and Scotland. On the application form, you will be asked which locations you can travel to.

Please only select locations that you would be able to attend, as roles are either office-based or hybrid. As this is a paid internship, travel expenses are not covered.

Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday. Some roles may require occasional weekend working.

Opportunities are available on either an office-based or hybrid basis.

The role descriptions will outline which working arrangements are available at each location.