Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to (a) work coaches and (b) decision makers on, (i) referring for sanctions and (ii) imposing sanctions on, Universal Credit claimants with dependent children.

Comprehensive Universal Credit guidance is provided to Work Coaches when referring cases for a decision, which may lead to a sanction. For example, before referring for or applying a sanction, staff must consider if the claimant is a care leaver, has complex needs, is vulnerable, has a health condition or if there have been previous sanctions recorded in the last 12 months.

For sanctions imposed on Universal Credit claimants with dependent children; all claimants will have their conditionality tailored to their individual circumstances.

Relevant guidance for Decision Makers is available on GOV.uk. Specific relevant chapters can be found here:

K1: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/644a43f8faf4aa0012e12f52/admk1.pdf

K2: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61e13d648fa8f5058667834d/adm-k2.pdf

K3: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b6afc961adff000d01b2f9/admk3.pdf

K4: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c92307840f0b633f71989d7/admk4.pdf

K5: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64ca5b6421df0f000dab4be6/admk5.pdf

K6: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d0b94a3e5274a0694afe5c3/admk6.pdf

K8: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5aa2811de5274a3e391e37a6/admk8.pdf

K9: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b6afd60ea2cb000d15e546/admk9.pdf