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 support vulnerable claimants with mental health issues sanctioned during the Christmas period when job centres are closed.

The application of conditionality remains throughout the duration of a claim and there is no procedural change or specific sanction easement for any normal non-working days such as weekends, bank holidays or other national holidays.

Claimants with mental health conditions will not be sanctioned if they have a cognitive impairment affecting their ability to understand the conditionality requirements placed upon them. In preparation for Christmas, benefit payments are advanced to reduce the impact on claimants. Any decision to apply a sanction to any benefit recipient just before the start of the Christmas period will not take effect until a later payment period and with the claimant being given due notice and the opportunity to claim hardship.