Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average distance a claimant travels to reach their nearest job centre for an appointment; and what the average distance is in rural areas.

DWP does not collect information on the travel times and distances for individual claimants.

When DWP looked at proposed jobcentre closures, there was a reasonable expectation that claimants can travel 3 miles or 20 minutes by public transport to a new jobcentre location from their existing jobcentre.

There are large areas of the country where claimants have always travelled further than this.

If claimants are experiencing any difficulties with accessing DWP services, they should discuss their issues with their work coach who will be happy to help overcome any issues affecting their claim or work search.