Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has in place to ensure that benefit claimants who (a) are shielding due to the covid- 19 outbreak and (b) have caring responsibilities are not sanctioned if they are unable to take up employment when conditionality easements for (i) universal credit and (ii) jobseeker's allowance come to an end on 30 June 2020.
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 after the 30th June will be communicated in due course.