Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) phone and (b) online appointments for new universal credit claimants.
We have temporarily suspended the requirement for face-to-face Jobcentre Plus appointments for all claimants in Universal Credit, Job Seekers’ Allowance (JSA), Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Income Support. Advances for all new UC claimants are now available online / via phone, with no requirement to attend a job centre.