Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing people claiming legacy benefits to complete a Skills Bootcamp in HGV driving that lasts longer than eight weeks.

Through Train and Progress, DWP seeks to assess the merits of extending the time Universal Credit (UC) claimants can participate in full-time employment-focussed skills training, and programmes such as skills bootcamps, up to 16 weeks and will be monitoring the impact of extending the time before considering whether to broaden to include those on legacy benefits.

By targeting this temporary expansion to our labour market offer at those eligible for UC, we can deliver a significant impact due to the higher ratio of UC claimants compared to those in receipt of legacy benefits. At present all other benefit claimants, can access longer periods of part-time skills training to improve their prospects of work, including Skills Bootcamps when delivery content is more flexible.