Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's transparency data entitled DWP and CMG: spending over £500, August 2024, published on 24 October 2024, for what reason her Department spent (a) £1,249 at John Lewis, (b) £868 and £579 at Sam Turner Sons, (c) £679, £899 and £1,139 at Screwfix, (d) £1,436 at Next Day Catering, (e) £589 and £534 at Halfords, (f) £1,099 at Laurastar SA, (g) £629 on Singer Outlet, (h) 11 amounts with SE Online and (i) £999, £619, £619, £557 and £504 at Argos.

All these transactions would fall into the ‘Barrier Spend’ Category which is where the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) should be considered to remove barriers that are; preventing claimants from moving closer to the job market, hindering a claimant’s search for work, preventing a claimant from accepting a firm job offer or moving into self-employment or preventing them from increasing their earnings, through increased hours or job change.

Examples of ‘barrier spend’ may include smart clothing for interviews or to start work, essential work wear (excluding safety wear as it is the employer’s duty to provide this), essential tools and equipment for specialist roles/sectors (ie chef’s knives). This could also include travel costs where the inability to afford travel is preventing access to an employment opportunity.

The SE online transactions are all for the purchase of ‘Travel expenses’ from the supplier ‘Southeastern Railways’. FSF travel payments can be made in advance if it removes the barrier of arriving to, and sustaining, employment. This includes customers taking on additional job(s) or additional hours in current job(s).