Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the policy and practice guidance her Department issues to decision-makers on supporting vulnerable people who claim for universal credit.

The Department’s guidance on how the law is interpreted for Universal Credit decision makers is contained in “Advice for Decision Making” (“ADM”). There is guidance in the ADM which is aimed at setting work related requirements and how this has to take account of all of a person’s circumstances, including those who are vulnerable or with complex needs. In addition, the guidance on whether a person has a good reason for not complying with a work related requirement instructs decision makers to take account of all the circumstances of the case and this includes guidance on

• Victims of domestic violence;
• People suffering with health problems including mental health issues;
• Homelessness;
• Domestic emergencies;
• Caring responsibilities;
• Where there is a risk to a person’s health and well-being;

This list is not exhaustive and decision makers are trained to judge the merits of each individual case.

The ADM can be accessed on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-for-decision-making-staff-guide . The guidance on setting and turning off work-related requirements can be found in chapter J3, and the guidance on good reason can be found in chapter K2.