Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will suspend the use of sanctions on benefit claimants in the event of a covid-19 outbreak.
The department has no plans to suspend the use of sanctions in the event of an outbreak because – as is the case now - the decision to apply a sanction is considered on a case by case basis and takes into consideration the claimant’s capability and circumstances.
When claimants tell us that they are self-isolating or that they have been diagnosed with covid-19, we will review the claimant’s conditionality requirements to ensure that they remain reasonable, helping them avoid sanctions.