Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assistance job centres provide to claimants who struggle to complete benefits applications forms; and what procedures are followed by jobcentres when a claimant requests assistance with filling in forms or expresses that they have difficulty in doing so.

Where our customers advise us that they need assistance to access our services and information, we make reasonable adjustments to meet their individual needs. This means the Department communicates with customers in a variety of different formats such as Braille, audio, large print, through third party interpreters or by arranging for a member of staff to visit the customer in their home.

Service delivery teams within jobcentres provide a professional and supportive environment for our customers, providing digital coaching, helping claimants set up their Universal Credit claims and also maintaining them.

Claimants who require additional support to complete a claim form have the option to book a one to one appointment with a member of the Service Delivery team to receive assistance. In addition telephony support is in place for those vulnerable claimants who cannot ‘self-serve’ online and where a claimant is unable to manage their own affairs, an appointee can act on their behalf, taking responsibility for making and maintaining any benefit claim.