Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a continuous payment of employment and support allowance to claimants during their Mandatory Reconsideration period.

Employment and Support Allowance, in common with all other benefits, is not paid during the Mandatory Reconsideration period as there are no legal grounds to make a payment of Employment and Support Allowance at this time. There are currently no plans to review this approach. Claimants may be able to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support or Universal Credit while they are waiting for a decision on their mandatory reconsideration.