Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what procedures are in place to monitor the adherence of job centres to Department for Work and Pensions guidelines that staff should make the availability of Short Term Benefit Advances known to benefit claimants before advising them of other local sources of short-term support; and how they plan to enforce that guidance if instances of non-adherence are identified.

Jobcentre staff follow guidance that states customers should only be referred to other local sources of help if they can not get a Short Term Benefit Advance (STBA) or any other form of DWP support in the first instance. When local sources of help is required, staff will look at what is available through the District Provision Tool and signpost accordingly.

Earlier this year, DWP undertook activity to raise awareness in Jobcentres of STBA. All Jobcentres displayed posters about STBA and staff were up skilled in the processes and procedures of STBA. Persistent non-compliance of the process by staff could lead to disciplinary action being taken.