Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help people with chronic and enduring mental illnesses make an application for universal credit.

DWP work coaches support people with disabilities and health conditions every working day and the Department has delivered additional training to 1,800 work coaches to support claimants with mental health conditions.

The Department has also recruited local Community Partners to provide extra expertise on disability and health conditions. Furthermore, our Disability Employment Advisors actively provide advice and guidance to support claimants with disabilities, including those with mental health issues.

If someone cannot access the online Universal Credit service on their own, DWP staff will help them make a claim and can also refer them to DWP funded local services which offer assisted digital and personal budgeting support. Universal Support provides extra help for claimants to make and maintain their claim and to manage their money.

Claimants can also claim over the phone, which is free to use, and where necessary, appointees can also make a claim on a claimant’s behalf and help maintain their online account. In circumstances where a claimant is unable to visit their local Jobcentre or conduct their business with DWP using other channels, home visits are also available.