Welfare Reform Bill

There is so much consensus around the Committee that it is difficult for someone whose amendments are grouped with those of the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, to get a word in edgeways. However, that is exactly what the Minister asked for at Second Reading and that is what he has most certainly got now. My amendments in this group, like those of other noble Lords, explore the Government’s intentions for the definition of ““good cause””. The rationale behind the idea is clear. After all, if a claimant has a good reason, he should not suffer a penalty, but it is in no one’s interest, least of all that of the claimant, if the work-related activity is not taken seriously. However, there are various practical points that I have not yet quite got to grips with. What criteria are the Government using to measure ““good cause”” for missing a work-related activity or health-related assessment? Will ““good cause”” cover behaviour resulting from a person’s disability? As the noble Baronesses on the Cross-Benches said, this might, but not necessarily, be a mental disability. There is a danger that, without clear guidance from the Government, every separate provider will apply the Bill differently. A postcode lottery in this respect is inherently unfair, but it could also lead to unnecessary confusion and worry about the rigour of conditionality and the requirements that will be placed on the claimant. I therefore look forward to hearing the Minister’s response to these questions and hearing more about how conditionality will be applied in practice. I support the amendments of the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, which deal with the manner of communication with clients. In my meetings with lobby groups, many concerns have been raised about how organisations undertaking the assessments and the work-related activities will communicate with claimants. As the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, said, this point is particularly important for those with mental disabilities, but thoughtlessness in this area could have a significant impact on many other claimants, too. It has been brought to my attention that some mental disabilities often lead to behaviour which makes communication difficult, such as a refusal, as we have heard, to open post. Given the possibility of sanctions should a claimant be considered to be avoiding work-focused interviews or health-related assessments, it is very important that this behaviour is fully understood in the context of the claimant’s disability and allowances made. In the Rethink briefing, which we have all received, the experience of a service user with manic depression is quoted. He said: "““In fact, the DWP kept me in the dark, delaying my benefit without telling me why. After all the stress of delayed benefits last September, I almost died with an aortic rupture””." Many people simply do not have a social network and rely solely on healthcare professionals for support, as the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, said. One suggestion was that post should be sent only at the beginning of the week, on a Monday or Tuesday. The letter would then be more likely to arrive on a work day, when the appropriate support bodies are open to deal with any concerns or misunderstandings that the claimants may have as a result. If the letter were to arrive at a weekend, this support would not be available and could lead to two days of unnecessary worry and confusion, and potential sanctions. When invalidity benefit claimants are eventually migrated to ESA, this issue will be of particular relevance to them. Under the IB system, they will have had very little contact with the DWP, and any contact at all is likely to appear as threatening, whether in their own mind or to benefit entitlement. We have had little information about how people will be migrated to the new benefit and prepared for the new level of engagement required from them. The Minister will know that a single hospital admission or period of sickness absence from work can lead to unemployment, homelessness, debt and social isolation, as the Social Exclusion Unit said. Given the complexities that can easily arise in situations such as these, we really need to know what plans the Government have to improve methods of communication, which is what all of us have asked for.