Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance and training is provided to staff determining sanctions for (a) jobseekers allowance and (b) universal credit to help them understand mental health problems which may legitimately account for claimants missing appointments with little or no notice.

DWP provides learning and guidance for staff administering Jobseeker’s Allowance to determine if a referral to a Decision Maker is appropriate when determining a sanction. Foundation learning is provided and undertaken to build capability and to recognise when a claimant is vulnerable, has a known mental health condition or other complex needs exists.

Decision makers and work coaches are also supported by material which covers identifying circumstances when a claimant can be treated as having good reason for failure to attend.

Universal Credit staff receive further learning about complex needs and supporting a claimant, such as guidance for decision makers to prompt them to take all of a claimant’s circumstances into account, including known mental health problems, when assessing whether a sanction is appropriate.

Staff are supported to consider ‘good reason’ for failing to attend an appointment and determine if a mental health problem contributed to the missed appointment. The learning and guidance for jobcentre staff explains that when referring cases they must record whether the claimant has complex needs so the decision maker can consider that as part of the decision making process.