The second two day stoppage hit Jobcentres, benefit offices, the Pension Service and Child Support Agency (CSA) with some offices closed and those remaining open offering little or no service to the public. On the phones the public had difficulty contacting call centres with people encountering a recorded message to call back later.

The union called on the department to scrap plans to spend £30 million on bonuses and use the money to ensure that all staff receive a pay rise in line with inflation. The union also warned that annual bonuses and pay rises for senior managers exceeding the yearly wage of some of those on strike would further anger staff whose starting salaries are as little as £12,500.

Below inflation pay as a result of the government's pay cap has also prompted strongly supported strike action in the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Department for Transport, Driving Standards Agency (DSA), the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA), Highways Agency, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and Vehicle Certification Agency.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "Support for this latest two day stoppage is as strong as the last one and illustrates the strength of feeling over the imposition of a pitiful pay offer that results in real term pay cuts for some of the lowest paid in the public sector. The government and the department have provoked unnecessary conflict by capping pay and squandering millions of pounds on a divisive bonus system which instead could ensure pay rises in line with inflation. The government and the DWP cannot continue to ignore the damage to morale that low pay is having and need to start paying a fair wage to the many not the few."