Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department offers to homeless ex-service personnel to ensure that they receive adequate training for sustainable employment.

DWP’s priority is to ensure homeless people get the appropriate support they need to move into work so they can succeed and rebuild their lives.

The Government recognises that homeless veterans may face particular challenges in getting into employment. Support provided by DWP in Great Britain complements that offered by the Career Transition Partnership and other organisations supporting veterans.

The homeless and ex-HM Armed Forces personnel form two of the specified priority groups for the forthcoming Work and Health Programme. This allows for early voluntary entry to the programme at the most appropriate time in their claim for those who would benefit from specialist employment support to find work. In addition, DWP provides a range of support to help homeless people into work. This includes access to the Jobcentre Plus employment offer with individual tailoring. DWP’s National Employer and Partnership Team also work with national employer and partner organisations to help ex-HM Armed Forces Service leavers into employment.

The Department also recognises as a priority that claimants who have recently become homeless will need time to try and resolve their accommodation issues, and so jobseeking requirements can temporarily be put on hold whilst homeless claimants find accommodation and claimants directed to concentrate on seeking additional support through various homeless organisations instead; and where sanctions are applied they can access hardship payments immediately. The removal of housing support for 18-21 year olds policy includes a wide-ranging set of exemptions which means homeless people will not be affected.

Underpinning DWP’s support for veterans and serving personnel and their families is our network of Armed Forces Champions in each Jobcentre Plus district who support work coaches in understanding the range of support available to Service leavers and ensure they are actively signposted to appropriate organisations.