Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of difficulties caused by the two week waiting period for a hardship payment.

Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants with children and anyone categorised as vulnerable, including all Employment Support Allowance claimants, are able to apply for hardship payments from day one of the sanction. The majority of claims are accepted.

In addition to this, Local Authorities provide assistance to the most vulnerable people in their communities through local welfare provision, which has received an additional £74 million on top of the £129 million previously allocated funding.