Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

(asked on 24th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effect of sanctions and conditionality on claimants of social security on (a) the health and well-being and (b) their ability to enter employment.


Answered by
Mims Davies Portrait
Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 1st December 2020

In response to the pandemic while we focused on a huge surge in claims ensuring we got money to those in need in a timely manner, we suspended the requirements of the claimant commitment. With the interventions and safeguards this Government has put in place, we were able to reintroduce Claimant Commitments from July. Any work related activity agreed by a claimant with their Work Coach as part of this Commitment, continues to be tailored in light of their circumstances. A range of factors, including people’s physical and mental health, are always taken into full consideration to ensure it is reasonable and increases their chances of moving into work, if they are able, and if it is safe for them to do so.

We have not undertaken a recent assessment however our approach is flexible and responsive to the current climate and is regularly reviewed.

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