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1681869

registered interest
date	15/01/2024
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that people who are unable to (a) attend appointments at their local Jobcentre and (b) meet the requirements for receiving benefits as a result of underlying health conditions issues are not sanctioned.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	9551
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>All work-related requirements are set in discussion with claimants, who take ownership of planning how they will meet their requirements and ultimately secure employment, if they are able to do so. Generally, work coaches have the discretion to adjust how often the claimant meets with them and how these meetings take place, in light of the claimant’s needs, circumstances and capability.</p><p> </p><p>Should a claimant fail to carry out a mandatory work-related activity that has been agreed and set out in their Claimant Commitment or Work plan, we will ask them why. We will take into account any reasons they provide, including any health conditions, before referring for consideration of a sanction. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take into account all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good reason, before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.</p><p> </p><p>We also have a well-established system of hardship payments, available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs as a result of their sanction, including accommodation, heating, food and hygiene. All claimants will retain the right to mandatory reconsideration or appeal a decision should they disagree.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/01/2024 16:00:17 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1484176

registered interest
date	28/06/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's timetable is for running another pilot of non-financial penalties in place of benefit sanctions.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	26787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2022 answer text <p>We have no plans to run another pilot at this time.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 04/07/2022 16:46:08 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1467375

registered interest
date	01/06/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit sanctions her Department has applied in each of the last three years, broken down by region.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	11674
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2022 answer text <p>The Department releases benefit sanction statistics at regular intervals.</p><p> </p><p>Sanctions statistics for those people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support (IS) and Universal Credit (UC) are published quarterly.</p><p> </p><p>Monthly figures are available for JSA from April 2000 to January 2022, ESA from October 2008 to January 2022, IS from October 2016 to January 2022, and UC from April 2019 to February 2022.</p><p> </p><p>Figures, broke down by region, are available <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p /> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 08/06/2022 15:36:25 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1457780

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2022 to Question 117880, on Social Security Benefits: Disqualification, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding on page 73 of her Department's in-work progression randomised control trial that ran between April 2015 and March 2018 that sanctions did not appear to have a positive impact on motivation to progress and that they could damage the relationship between the Work Coach and participant.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	153978
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>A positive working relationship between a Work Coach and a claimant is crucial but the same section also shows how sanctions are an effective tool at driving compliance.</p><p> </p><p>Building on the evidence from the randomised control trial to support in-work progression, we are extending the support Jobcentres provide to people in work and on low incomes to help them to increase their earnings and move into better paid quality jobs.</p><p> </p><p>This will be provided by Work Coaches and focus on career progression advice, such as considering skills gaps, identifying training needs, or looking for opportunities for the claimant to progress in their current role or in a new role.</p><p> </p><p>The support will be offered to working UC claimants on a voluntary basis initially. However, we will review this in the future to ensure everyone who could benefit from this support engages with it.</p><p> </p><p>Our evaluation of the new voluntary in-work progression offer will inform our future approach to helping UC claimants to progress.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 26/04/2022 11:15:25 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1457781

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 8 February 2022 to Question 117880 and Question 121901, on Social Security Benefits: Disqualification, what assessment she has made of the findings of the implications for her policies of international studies, including those summarised in Griggs and Evans (2010), the National Audit Office’s 2016 report on Benefit sanctions and the written evidence from her Department to the Work and Pension Committee’s inquiry on benefit sanctions in 2018, that, where sanctions prompted people to move into work, the effect could be short-lived and result in lower quality jobs in respect of pay, conditions, duration and sustainability.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	153979
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>No specific assessment has been made. The Department considers all available evidence when making decisions regarding new or existing policies. To ensure sanctions are clear, fair and effective in promoting positive behaviours, we keep the operation of the conditionality and sanctions policies and process under continuous review. We routinely undertake Equality Analyses when developing policies.</p><p>These regulations change the amount of time people have to search for jobs in their preferred sector, which is known as the permitted period. The permitted period is available at the discretion of a Work Coach and only claimants with substantial experience in a certain sector or occupation, or at a level of remuneration are eligible. If, after 4 weeks, claimants granted a permitted period refuse to widen their job search and apply for roles, attend interviews or take up paid work outside of their preferred sector without good reason, then they may be referred for a sanction. A sanction is only ever applied if claimants fail, without good reason, to meet their agreed conditionality requirements.</p><p>We have a well-established system of hardship payments, available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs, including accommodation, heating, food and hygiene.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 26/04/2022 10:59:51 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1457783

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 12 of Benefit Sanctions: Government response to the Work and Pensions Committee’s Nineteenth Report of Session 2017-19, if she will provide details of the external evidence on the impact of sanctions on claimants' health, finances and wellbeing of claimants her Department took into account prior to the introduction of The Universal Credit and Jobseeker’s Allowance (Work Search and Work Availability Requirements - limitations) (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	153980
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>No specific assessment has been made. The Department considers all available evidence when making decisions regarding new or existing policies. To ensure sanctions are clear, fair and effective in promoting positive behaviours, we keep the operation of the conditionality and sanctions policies and process under continuous review. We routinely undertake Equality Analyses when developing policies.</p><p>These regulations change the amount of time people have to search for jobs in their preferred sector, which is known as the permitted period. The permitted period is available at the discretion of a Work Coach and only claimants with substantial experience in a certain sector or occupation, or at a level of remuneration are eligible. If, after 4 weeks, claimants granted a permitted period refuse to widen their job search and apply for roles, attend interviews or take up paid work outside of their preferred sector without good reason, then they may be referred for a sanction. A sanction is only ever applied if claimants fail, without good reason, to meet their agreed conditionality requirements.</p><p>We have a well-established system of hardship payments, available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs, including accommodation, heating, food and hygiene.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 26/04/2022 10:59:51 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1438110

registered interest
date	04/03/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to support academic research on the impact of social security sanctions on the mental health of recipients.
tabling member constituency	Cynon Valley
tabling member printed	Beth Winter
uin	134414
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2022 answer text <p>The Department have made no assessment of the impact of social security sanctions on the mental health of recipients. The Department supports research on a range of areas and will consider each project or application on its merit.</p><p>Sanctions are only applied where a claimant fails to comply with a mandatory requirement set out in their claimant commitment such as a failure to attend an appointment. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good reason, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 134415 question first answered 09/03/2022 18:13:04 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4809 label Biography information for Beth Winter

1438111

registered interest
date	04/03/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish her Department's assessment of the impact of social security sanctions on the mental health of recipients.
tabling member constituency	Cynon Valley
tabling member printed	Beth Winter
uin	134415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2022 answer text <p>The Department have made no assessment of the impact of social security sanctions on the mental health of recipients. The Department supports research on a range of areas and will consider each project or application on its merit.</p><p>Sanctions are only applied where a claimant fails to comply with a mandatory requirement set out in their claimant commitment such as a failure to attend an appointment. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good reason, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 134414 question first answered 09/03/2022 18:13:04 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4809 label Biography information for Beth Winter

1434036

registered interest
date	22/02/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2022 to Question 121901 on Social Security Benefits: Disqualification, for what reasons her Department is unable to list the international studies which show that benefit systems supported by conditionality are effective at moving people into work.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
tabling member printed	David Linden
uin	127520
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2022 answer text <p>The Department does not maintain a list of sources used and so the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 25/02/2022 11:40:05 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4640 label Biography information for David Linden

1434124

registered interest
date	22/02/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2022 to Question 119672, on Social Security Benefits: Disqualification, in which months the proof of concept is planned to (a) start and (b) finish in 2022; and in what parts of the country it will run.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	127458
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2022 answer text <p><strong> </strong>The proof of concept is due to run in Spring. As this is a small-scale test we do not plan to publish further details on timeframe or location so as to not adversely affect the proof of concept. Sites for the proof of concept are chosen in such a way that ensures we are able to assess the concept / policy under consideration.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 28/02/2022 17:58:49 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 53368 answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley answering member 4033
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens