Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2018 to Question 176531 on Carers: Unemployment, what (a) data and (b) methodology her Department uses to determine decisions on those interventions.

The data that the Department uses on Carers unemployment comes from the Family Resources Survey. The latest Family Resources Survey data is for 2016/17. This report and the carers data tables can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-201617

For Carers on Universal Credit who carry out caring duties for over 35 hours per week there are no mandatory interventions for them to attend. For Carers on Universal Credit who carry out caring duties under 35 hours a week they will be subject to mandatory interventions. These interventions will vary in frequency taking into account their household circumstances.

Carers on Income Support have a mandatory intervention every three years which is a work focussed intervention with a work coach. Where a carer has agreed to undertake some work focussed activity, then DWP will offer appropriate interventions to help them get back to work. These will be tailored to reflect the needs and circumstances of the carer, the local labour market and other relevant factors