Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether jobseekers in receipt of universal credit are expected to look for work for 35 hours in a week in which Christmas falls.

A work coach will discuss with the claimant what they can reasonably be expected to do in any week to look for work. The claimant’s availability will take into account their individual circumstances. For instance, where the claimant has sincerely held religious beliefs the work coach would agree with the claimant a pattern of work search/availability over the course of a week, as long as they still have reasonable prospects of finding work.