Clause 12
Welfare Reform Bill
1:30 pm
Danny Alexander (Shadow Minister and Disability Spokesperson, Work & Pensions; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Liberal Democrat)
I beg to move amendment No. 194, in page 10, line 41, after ‘regulations’, insert—
‘(aa) prescribing circumstances in which such a person is not subject to a requirement to undertake work-related activity in accordance with regulations;’.
With this amendment I seek to probe the Government’s intentions on directions to carry out work-related activity. It would provide that regulations could be made to prescribe circumstances in which such a person as described in the clause is not subject to a requirement to undertake such activity. The intention is to elicit more detail from the Minister on the Government’s thinking about the circumstances in which members of the work-related activity group, if one could call them that, rather than of the support group, might not be required to undertake such activity. An individual could be affected by a range of circumstances to do with their impairment, disability or health condition. That concern might particularly apply to those with fluctuating conditions. It might well be possible for such people to engage in work-related activity when their condition is less severe, but as it fluctuates there may be periods when that is not possible. Unless exceptions are described so that the conditionality on work-related activity would not apply, someone in such circumstances could be caught out by the conditionality regime. I am keen to hear more from the Minister about how those issues would apply to such cases.
It is also worth saying that the clause and the Bill seek to make obligatory taking part in work-related activity, as well as attending a work-related interview or a work-focused health-related assessment—matters of responsibility subject to reductions in benefit if not complied with. When we come to later amendments, we will have a wider debate on what work-related activity is and is not; that is not the subject of this amendment.
Owing to their disability, impairment or health condition, there may well be people for whom support or adjustments may be needed, to enable them to undertake the work-related activity required of them. If such support or adjustments cannot be provided for whatever reason, it may be inappropriate to require that person to carry out work-related activity. I hope that the Minister will agree and that the Government do not intend to sanction someone’s benefit in such cases. I look forward to the Minister’s response.