The Department is committed to providing the best possible support for all claimants to meet their individual circumstances. Claimants with a health condition or disability, including those who are immunocompromised, continue to have tailored commitments agreed based on their personal circumstances, including considering the impact of their health and wider situation.

Any work-related requirements are set in discussion with the claimant, tailored to their individual capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable. The guidance available to DWP staff outlines the easements which may be applied including that work search reflects the type and location of jobs which are appropriate to the individual.

Although DWP does not routinely provide guidance specifically on supporting people who are immunocompromised, we do ensure that staff are aware of the sources of information available to them relating to medical conditions that are associated with this. Staff are signposted to tools, guidance support and websites to effectively use resources from both internal and external sites, such as information directly from the NHS.

This ensures that staff can access the most up to date advice and can use this to inform how they support individual customers.

The DWP considers a number of different factors in areas where we expect a demand for our services. The Department seeks properties in both major cities or more rural locations that meet the business requirements for a Jobcentre. We currently have over 800 Jobcentre offices across all constituencies in Great Britain with over 190 new sites opened as part of Plan for Jobs.

Accessible transport links for both colleagues and customers is included in the planning process.

Please see the attached spreadsheet for details of the permanent and temporary DWP sites.

Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches are trained to consider a person's circumstances and to tailor support according to their individual needs. Staff complete claimant awareness training that covers a wide range of claimant circumstances, including that of refugees. In addition to this, staff also have access to information on services and support available in their local area for claimants who are vulnerable or who have complex needs. Communications have been delivered to all sites to ensure our staff are aware of the specific support available for those fleeing conflict in Ukraine and given visas to enter the UK.

Training and guidance is provided for all staff working with different vulnerable groups. This includes developing the skills they need to support and communicate with a diverse range of customers to provide a tailored service that recognises those with complex needs.

Jobcentre staff have access to information on services and support available in their local area for vulnerable claimants and will signpost claimants to national and local organisations who provide specialist support. This has included Trauma Informed Approach training that many staff have now completed. Nationally DWP works with J9, a domestic abuse awareness national initiative.

Work Coaches will tailor conditionality, setting requirements based on what is reasonable for the individual’s circumstances. A claimant’s work search and availability requirements can be switched off for an agreed period of time, and other work-related requirements can be lifted where appropriate. This includes where the claimant has suffered domestic violence and abuse, or periods where a child in their care is suffering distress due to experiencing or witnessing violence or abuse.

To assist identification and claimant support, each Jobcentre Plus site has a complex needs toolkit in place. These are maintained and reviewed locally and contain a named single point of contact for areas such as Homelessness, Care leavers and Prison leavers. Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) are also on site to support when needed.

Mental health training is available to all DWP staff who have contact with customers. This is designed to enable staff to respond appropriately to each customer’s issues. This learning is supplemented by point of need learning.

As at 28th February 2022, 20,076 Work Coaches and Work Coach Team Leader staff have completed the Mental Health training. That is a percentage of 74%. Overall 38,823 members of staff in customer contact roles have received the training.

The Department regularly runs events on the Menopause, with a combination of experts talking about the physical and psychological impacts and also colleagues sharing their own lived experience. These are aimed and marketed for both colleagues who may be experiencing the menopause as well as encouraging line managers and colleagues to also attend so that the department has as wide a knowledge base as possible.

The Department also has a thriving Menopause network made of up volunteers who work regularly and collaboratively with colleagues who head up the Wellbeing and Age portfolios as part of the People, Capability and Place directorate.

Our 37 district 50PLUS Champions utilise their knowledge and local links to support Work Coaches and employers to understand the characteristics of our customers and the issues that may affect them such as the impact of the menopause, helping them retain women’s skills and expertise.

DWP engages with staff and their Union representatives routinely where there are material changes in the duties and functions of staff. We recognise the importance of the role that meaningful consultation can play, as the Way to Work campaign does not represent a change to the role of the Work Coach we did not undertake discussions with PCS Union prior to its announcement.

We continue to monitor the operation of all our policies and processes to ensure they remain clear, fair and effective in promoting positive behaviours and have carefully considered the impact of implementing Way to Work on Jobcentre staff.

We continue to monitor the operation of all our policies and processes to ensure they remain clear, fair and effective in promoting positive behaviours and have carefully considered the impact of implementing Way to Work on jobcentre staff.

Our Jobcentre teams are committed to ensuring all claimants receive the best possible support to meet their individual circumstances. Jobcentre caseload sizes are closely monitored at both a national and sub national level to allow DWP to plan workforce numbers required. The frequency of interventions Work Coaches undertake with claimants is determined by the individual circumstances of the claimant, the duration of their claim, and the level of support required at that time. Maintaining an effective Work Coach diary is a joint responsibility between a team leader and the Work Coach; and is managed collaboratively through regular discussion and agreement.

Way to Work is a new concerted national drive to help half a million people claiming benefits into jobs by the end of June 2022, supporting them to take their next step to building a more secure and prosperous future. While we have more people on company payrolls than before the pandemic, latest figures show there are around 1.2 million vacancies across the economy, including many in key sectors.

Through Way to Work we will work with employers and claimants to support people into work more swiftly. This isn’t a new sanctions policy.

What’s changing is the time people have to limit their search for jobs in their preferred sector. Claimants with skills and experience for a specific type of role will be permitted up to four weeks to secure employment in that sector rather than the previous 13 weeks. Sanctions are only ever used where someone fails to comply with reasonable and appropriate commitments that have previously been agreed, without good reason. These steps are agreed with the claimant, outlined in the claimant commitment and followed up during discussions with Work Coaches.

If, after 4 weeks, claimants refuse to widen their job search and apply for a broader range of roles, attend interviews or take up paid work outside of their preferred sector without good reason, then they may be referred for a sanction.

Sanctions are only used when jobseekers fail to meet their agreed requirements or refuse to take up or stay in employment without good reason. The latest statistics show the sanctions rate at 2.37% which is below pre-pandemic levels.

Through DWP Train and Progress, UC claimants may undertake a full-time course of non-advanced study or training (not above level 3) for up to 12 weeks. This allows claimants who would benefit to undertake additional L3 opportunities that form part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee in England (and devolved administration equivalents). This flexibility can be extended to up to 16 weeks to allow claimants to participate in DfE funded Skills Bootcamps. It should be noted that this initiative has been extended to April 2022.

UC claimants are able to take on part-time training for any level of course as long as they meet their work-related requirements and their Work Coach is satisfied it will fill a skills gap and will improve their prospects of moving into work more quickly. Where this is the case, the number of hours can be treated as a work preparation requirement and the time spent on the course can be deducted from the hours the claimant is expected to carry out work search activity. It should be noted that there is no limit on the length of part-time training claimants can undertake, in agreement with their Work Coach.

The criteria above is clearly set out in guidance for all Work Coaches to use in these circumstances.

DWP’s network of 50 Armed Forces Champions and 11 Group Leads provide vital support to veterans and other members of the armed forces community, including providing additional help to get veterans in to work. Since the new model was introduced in April 2021 it has been well received by stakeholders.

DWP’s network of 50 Armed Forces Champions and 11 Group Leads provide vital support to veterans and other members of the armed forces community, including providing additional help to get veterans in to work. Since the new model was introduced in April 2021 it has been well received by stakeholders.

Initially 262 large and medium sized Jobcentres began opening on Saturdays from December 2020, with additional Jobcentres opening their doors on Saturdays in 2021. Due to the global pandemic and the application of social distancing in these sites, it is too early to make a robust assessment of the costs and merits of opening Jobcentres on Saturdays.

In April 2021, we updated the offer in our jobcentres, boosting our network of armed forces champions to 50, supported by 11 area leads. They are focused on providing key support to our veterans and other members of the armed forces community to ensure that their talents and abilities are recognised and that they can move quickly on to their next step. I saw that in action on Thursday at the military careers fair in Aldershot with the Veterans Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Leo Docherty).

In April 2021, we updated the offer in our jobcentres, boosting our network of armed forces champions to 50, supported by 11 area leads. They are focused on providing key support to our veterans and other members of the armed forces community to ensure that their talents and abilities are recognised and that they can move quickly on to their next step. I saw that in action on Thursday at the military careers fair in Aldershot with the Veterans Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Leo Docherty).

What progress is being made by the work of armed forces champions in jobcentres.

As the Minister will know, our veterans have particular skills and needs. Can she confirm that veterans in my constituency in the Scottish Borders, whether they attend a jobcentre in Hawick, Galashiels or Eyemouth, will be able to access the support offered by their district armed forces champion?

With Lincoln and Lincolnshire continuing to have a growing armed forces community—with RAF Waddington playing a national role and the Royal Anglian Regiment 2nd Battalion celebrating its freedom of the city last Friday—delivering the champions scheme along with other important parts of the armed forces covenant is important to my constituents, not least Councillor Bill Mara in Witham ward. What more can be done in respect of the scheme to signpost veterans to these services?