Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department gives to local authorities on ensuring that benefit claimants are not given conflicting appointments which carry non-attendance sanctions by both his Department and those authorities.

DWP does not issue any guidance to local authorities around ensuring that benefit claimants are not given conflicting appointments.

However, whenever a benefit claimant is required to attend an interview with a DWP adviser they are given information, verbally and/or in writing, which includes details about the interview itself and what they are required to do if they are unable to attend that interview.