James Heywood

James Heywood

Head of Debt and Financial Inclusion

James served as Special Adviser at the Department for Work and Pensions from September 2022 until the 2024 general election, working under two successive Secretaries of State. As the Special Adviser responsible for all aspects of the department’s policy remit, he led work on welfare reform and tackling poverty, including the new Universal Support programme. He was also part of the team which drafted the 2024 Conservative manifesto.

Before entering government, James was Head of Welfare and Opportunity at the Centre for Policy Studies, leading the CPS’s work on making work pay and co-authoring a major report on the role of the contributory principle within the welfare system. He previously worked in Parliament as an adviser on Treasury and Work and Pensions issues.

Something you might not know about me

I have my own mini pub in the back garden with a bar and beer taps, so I’m gradually making my way around London’s microbreweries to find my favourite ales to have in stock (strictly for the weekends of course!).