Clause 15
Welfare Reform Bill
12:45 pm
Jim Murphy (Minister of State (Work), Department for Work and Pensions; East Renfrewshire, Labour)
I shall seek to respond to the hon. Gentleman’s point.
On the responsibility for the decision making, the power in the clause will not change the role of a personal adviser. Opposition Members have spoken eloquently and effectively on the nature of the trust in the relationship between the personal adviser and the customer. Sanctions have been tested in the Jobcentre Plus-led pathways. In those cases, personal advisers can say whether customers, whom they meet on a regular basis, have fulfilled their obligations. If a personal adviser feels that the customer has not met his or her responsibility, the personal adviser can refer the case to a decision maker. We are discussing the location of the decision maker, not the relationship, responsibility or skills of the personal adviser.