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 for Disabled People, Health and Work of 18 April 2017, Official Report, columns 650-51, which suppliers of (a) telecoms and (b) energy offer social tariffs to claimants of employment and support allowance in the work-related activity group.

BT (and KCom in the Hull area) offer a social tariff for home phone and broadband under EU and domestic legislation. Whilst no specific tariffs are offered by the main energy providers, the Money Advice Service found that people could save money by switching. There has been an improvement in the switching infrastructure to help customers and Work Coaches are now able to direct claimants to switching services through the new “managing you money” leaflet.