Welfare Reform and Work Bill

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Excerpts

Monday 14th December 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)]

My Lords, Amendment 58, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Low, seeks to make part of statute all guidance relating to the safeguarding of vulnerable claimants in relation to any sanction. It also seeks to define vulnerability and to commit the Secretary of State to report annually to Parliament on the application of the guidance. In his speech on this Bill on 17 November, the noble Lord, Lord Low, said that the Work and Pensions Select Committee had called for safeguarding measures to be included in legislation. However, it did not recommend that specific action and did not suggest that the guidance should be put on a statutory basis. Therefore we do not believe that the amendment will achieve what the noble Lord intends.

As a principle, the guidance that the department produces to support the implementation of key policies is comprehensive. It is also regularly reviewed and refreshed to ensure that it meets policy intent, reflects new evidence about its effect and implementation and allows us to introduce easements within the scope of the current legislation. Much of the guidance relating to the safeguarding of vulnerable claimants in relation to any sanction, reduction of benefit or disallowance of benefit is based on individual assessment of need. Defining the scope of vulnerability too closely or predetermining who these groups are in statute could create unintended consequences. One example is the plight of Syrian refugees: fixed guidance might not have been able to respond to the specific and varied needs of those fleeing the conflict. Embedding a definition which may appear fit for purpose today within statutory guidance would remove important flexibility to ensure that we can respond to change quickly tomorrow and thereafter.

It is also worth noting that the existing vulnerability guidance already provides detailed material to assist work coaches in identifying and supporting the complex needs of vulnerable claimants. It is linked to an online vulnerability hub which has been specifically created to support staff in dealing with all forms of vulnerability and to ensure that guidance is in one place, which is what the noble Lord is suggesting. For instance, the hub contains information such as the mental health toolkit and the hidden impairment toolkit, both of which have been developed in conjunction with health experts and DWP work psychologists to ensure its effectiveness.

The content of all eight sets of guidance is reviewed frequently and the department works with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure that it effectively recognises and supports vulnerable claimants. We are also currently changing elements of the guidance in response to a recommendation made by the Work and Pensions Select Committee to supplement the existing work coach guidance to illustrate how conditionality can be tailored to take account of individual claimants’ circumstances where they have complex needs or need additional support.

Amendment 62, in the names of the noble Lord, Lord Low, and the noble Earl, Lord Listowel, refers to the universal credit local support services framework, now called universal support delivered locally. Again, I am sure that the noble Lord has tabled this amendment to ensure that vulnerable claimants are identified and supported as we move to universal credit. However, again, we do not believe that the amendment is best placed to achieve this aim.

The universal support framework was developed in acknowledgement that some people will need additional help in making and maintaining a claim for universal credit, which for the majority of people will be an online service with payments made monthly direct to the household. The framework aims to align with a flexible approach to services for vulnerable complainants and those with complex needs and recognises that individual local needs may be best met through integrated localised support service offers. It aims to help DWP and local partners plan the level of appropriate services and delivery methods to support the delivery of universal credit and to support claimants in moving towards greater individual self-sufficiency and independence.

Universal support trials started across Great Britain in September 2014. Five of the trials ended on 31 August this year and the remaining six ended on 30 November. The trials tested digital inclusion, financial inclusion, different arrangements for triaging household needs and the sharing of data, skills and estates to create the right integrated local foundation to support more households into work. The final evaluation of these trials will published in late spring 2016, although a short summary of key learning will be published before then. The trials will also allow us to better understand the business case for universal credit delivered locally, claimants’ needs, funding requirements and the delivery approaches that tested best. This information will be used to inform a refreshed framework alongside the full universal credit digital service from May 2016 and a refreshed specification of requirements.

The intention is that the universal support framework sets out the principles and specifications but is not prescriptive about delivery, although learning from the trials and local expertise will be brought to bear to enable continuous improvement. We want to ensure that local areas support their local communities as best they can and it will be up to them to decide how they want to bring resources together and to effectively provide the support needed. For instances, trials in Greater Manchester, Kent and Flintshire have all produced different ways of working which have been effective for those local communities.

On the basis of this explanation, I hope that the noble Lord will withdraw his amendment.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Lord Bishop of Durham]

My Lords, in the north-east I get to see apprentices in the car industry, the subsea industry, traditional industries such as stonemasonry, farming, and all kinds of sectors in schools. It is brilliant to be able to see them face to face, to meet them and talk to them. There are brilliant apprenticeships and we need to grow them. Therefore, the 3 million target is fantastic, but I have to say that where the Bill refers to,

“information about the progress made in the reporting period towards the apprenticeships target”,

which is simply the figure of 3 million, that does not give the information about the types of apprenticeship that there are. In the light of the previous comments, I add that in two particular manufacturing industries I went to there were fantastic apprenticeships with brilliant young men, but no young women at all. I am told that there have not been any. We need this kind of information to ensure that apprenticeships are of the quality and standard needed. Because of the lateness of the hour, I will stop at that.

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

My Lords, I will attempt to respond to various points, but again, due to the lateness of the hour, I will try to keep my remarks brief. Where I do not respond to points I will endeavour to get further information to noble Lords relatively quickly.

The Government are committed to reaching 3 million apprenticeship starts in England in 2020. Clause 2 will place a duty on the Secretary of State to report annually on progress towards meeting that target. The amendments that have been tabled would place additional reporting requirements on the Secretary of State to publish a range of information as part of the annual apprenticeship reporting requirement set out in the Bill.