Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 24 June 2015 (HL542), when the guidance referred to in that Answer was published and what steps have been taken to ensure all members of Jobcentre Plus staff are aware of it.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) policy is to develop its staff in the skills and knowledge required to support a range of claimants sensitively and to respect their individual needs.

The Department for Work and Pensions published the Human Trafficking guidance on 15^th January 2016. The latest amendment to the guidance was made on 8^th November 2016. The instructions were published on the Customer Service A-Z homepage and communicated as part of monthly intranet updates. These instructions are available to any member of staff who is told, or suspects, that the customer they are dealing with is a victim of human trafficking.