Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work of 27 March 2017, Official Report, column 9, what plans he has to use the Flexible Support Fund to support claimants of employment and support allowance in the work-related activity group.

Additional funding is being added to the Flexible Support Fund over the next two years, which will be available to support new claimants in the Employment and Support Allowance Work-Related Activity Group.

The Flexible Support Fund may be used for a wide range of activities at the discretion of Jobcentre Plus District Managers and Work Coaches. Whilst not exhaustive, some of the activities that may be undertaken include:

• support for Partnership activity, which is determined locally;
• purchasing support to meet one-off claimant needs, for example funding travel to interview costs, equipment or clothing to start employment;
• paying for replacement adult or child care to enable a claimant to undertake training, attend interviews or start work;
• procure activities to enable claimants to either enter sustained employment or move closer to the labour market;
• paying for adaptations to help a disabled claimant to access work placements;
• training allowances for claimants undertaking some types of full time training, such as those attending a sector based work academy.