The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. It was created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the Employment part 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 the state pension. In 1944 a separate Ministry of National Insurance (initially titled the Ministry of Social Insurance, it changed its name on November 17, 1944) was formed; the two merged in 1953. In 1966 the Ministry was renamed the Ministry of Social Security, but this proved to be shortlived 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 always referred to as Secretary of State for Social Services. The Department underwent a de-merger in 1988 creating freestanding Departments for Health and Social Security.

Minister of Pensions

• George Barnes (December 10, 1916 - August 17, 1917)
• John Hodge (August 17, 1917 - January 10, 1919)
• Sir Laming Worthington-Evans (January 10, 1919 - April 2, 1920)
• Ian Macpherson (April 2, 1920 - October 19, 1922)
• George Tryon (October 31, 1922 - January 22, 1924)
• Frank Roberts (January 23, 1924 - November 3, 1924)
• George Tryon (November 11, 1924 - June 4, 1929)
• Frank Roberts (June 7, 1929 - August 24, 1931)
• George Tryon (September 3, 1931 - June 18, 1935)
• Robert Hudson (June 18, 1935 - July 30, 1936)
• Herwald Ramsbotham (July 30, 1936 - June 7, 1939)
• Sir Walter Womersley (June 7, 1939 - July 26, 1945)
• Wilfred Paling (August 3, 1945 - April 17, 1947)
• John Hynd (April 17, 1947 - October 7, 1947)
• George Buchanan (October 7, 1947 - July 2, 1948)
• Hilary Marquand (July 2, 1948 - January 17, 1951)
• George Isaacs (January 17, 1951 - October 26, 1951)
• Derick Heathcoat-Amory (November 5, 1951 - September 3, 1953)

Minister of Social Insurance/National Insurance

• Sir William Jowitt (October 8, 1944 - May 23, 1945)
• Leslie Hore-Belisha (May 25, 1945 - July 26, 1945)
• James Griffiths (August 4, 1945 - February 28, 1950)
• Edith Summerskill (February 28, 1950 - October 26, 1951)
• Osbert Peake (October 31, 1951 - September 3, 1953)

Minister of Pensions and National Insurance

• Osbert Peake (September 3, 1953 - December 20, 1955)
• John Boyd-Carpenter (December 20, 1955 - July 16, 1962)
• Niall Macpherson (July 16, 1962 - October 21, 1963)
• Richard Wood (October 21, 1963 - October 16, 1964)
• Margaret Herbison (October 18, 1964 - August 6, 1966)

Minister of Social Security

• Margaret Herbison (August 6, 1966 - July 26, 1967)
• Judith Hart (July 26, 1967 - November 1, 1968)

Secretary of State for Social Services

• Richard Crossman (November 1, 1968 - June 19, 1970)
• Sir Keith Joseph (June 20, 1970 - March 4, 1974)
• Barbara Castle (March 5, 1974 - April 8, 1976)
• David Ennals (April 8, 1976 - May 4, 1979)
• Patrick Jenkin (May 5, 1979 - September 14, 1981)
• Norman Fowler (September 14, 1981 - June 13, 1987)
• John Moore (June 13, 1987 - July 25, 1988)

Secretary of State for Social Security

• John Moore (July 25, 1988 - July 23, 1989)
• Tony Newton (July 23, 1989 - April 10, 1992)
• Peter Lilley (April 10, 1992 - May 2, 1997)
• Harriet Harman (May 3, 1997 - July 27, 1998)
• Alistair Darling (July 27, 1998 - June 8, 2001)

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

• Alistair Darling (June 8, 2001 - May 29, 2002)
• Andrew Smith (May 29, 2002 - 8 September 2004)
• Alan Johnson (8 September 2004 -)

See also: Secretary of State for Employment.