DWP Freedom of Information Requests

Freedom of Information (FO!) requests are a good way to learn about DWP policies.

How many DWP employees are claiming Universal Credit?

DWP employees who are also UC claimants are not required to let their employer know that they are claiming UC. Employees are not expected to inform their Line Managers in DWP that they are claimants of Universal Credit, unless they wish to do so. It is DWP policy that all employees who are required to attend a meeting with a Work Coach as a UC claimant have the right to request to be seen by a Work Coach from another job centre to respect their privacy. In addition, all DWP staff are made fully aware of their obligations to data protection and the necessity for discretion in all their dealings, both with their own colleagues and members of the public. DWP Central Freedom of Information Team e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Our Ref: VTR IR101 DATE: 5 May 2106 If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Can you be sanctioned for refusing to take a Zero Hours contract?

I note your concerns about zero hour contracts. We expect claimants to do all they reasonably can to look for and move into paid work. This will be made simpler under Universal Credit, which is payable in and out of work, this means the need to claim different benefits when the number of hours a claimant works changes disappears. This reduces the risks associated with moves to employment that exist in the current system. Universal Credit is designed to be responsive to fluctuations in earnings and will reflect the amount earned by a claimant each month. For people who are working, financial support will be reduced at a consistent and predictable rate and they will generally keep a higher proportion of their earnings. If a Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant turns down a particular vacancy then before a sanction is applied we will look into the circumstances of the case and consider DWP Central Freedom of Information Team e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Our Ref: VTR 4979 DATE: 05 November 2013 whether they had a good reason. Where the vacancy is for a zero-hours contract then no decision is needed and a sanction should never apply. If the details of the zero-hours contract comes to light after the Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant starts work or during the application process then they will always have good reason for leaving voluntarily, failing or refusing to accept the contract and a sanction should never apply. If the claimant knowingly applies for and accepts a zero-hours contract then leaves the job voluntarily, then a Decision Maker would have to consider if they had good reason for leaving, considering all the individual facts and circumstances of the case.