Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, will a parent on job seekers allowance who chooses not to return their child to school during the covid-19 outbreak be (a) classified as not looking for work and (b) sanctioned if they are unable to attend interviews due to lack of child care.

We made the decision to temporarily suspend the requirement for face-to-face Jobcentre Plus appointments for all claimants in Universal Credit, New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), old-style JSA and ESA, and Income Support.

Arrangements for after suspension will be communicated in due course.