Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2017 to Question 882, on Benefit Rules, what recent discussions he has received from the Jobcentre Plus network on the roll-out of the reformed welfare contract piloted by Feeding Britain at Birkenhead Jobcentre Plus.

The initiative at Birkenhead Jobcentre brought together information from energy suppliers to help the vulnerable and those facing difficulties in meeting their energy costs.

The initiative informed a DWP produced factsheet which covers saving money on household bills, advice for those struggling with debt and details about basic bank accounts. The factsheet also signposts to further sources of help and support through a range of websites including The Money Advice Service.

The DWP factsheet is available to all Work Coaches across the Jobcentre Plus network.

We are unable to confirm the numbers used or the number of claimants availing themselves of the support.