Welfare Reform Bill

The information that we have obtained from the Pathways pilots has caused us to determine 13 weeks as the most appropriate period in which to process the overwhelming majority of claims that come in. The noble Lord asks what happens if that is not achieved and the claim is not dealt with and evaluated until after the end of that 13-week period. There will be a backdating of the work-related activity component or the support-group component to the beginning of the 14th week. Clearly, we need to ensure that the systems are efficient and that they deliver within the desired timeframe.