Welfare Reform Bill

Debate on whether Clause 2 should stand part of the Bill. Before we leave Clause 2, it is worth taking this last chance in Committee to reiterate some of the concerns which have been expressed about this clause. They boil down perhaps to claimants in the progression-to-work route being given the appropriate work-related activity for their circumstances, to sanctions being a last resort for this group and for the training of Jobcentre Plus staff to be such that we can all be confident in their ability to interact with claimants with multiple barriers to work. It may be worth noting that the Joint Committee on Human Rights was concerned that there was some evidence that certain vulnerable groups, in particular those with mental health problems or learning disabilities, were disadvantaged already by the administration of the reforms introduced by the previous Welfare Reform Act 2007, and that the Government had not said how they intended to monitor the effectiveness of existing safeguards. Perhaps we will have to decide whether the Minister’s replies to this part of the Bill have been satisfactory. The JCHR specifically recommended that the training and guidance that a person advises should expressly address how to identify and engage with people with mental health problems and learning disabilities. It said: ""The training and guidance should encourage staff to engage proactively with supporters, family and other professionals where necessary, appropriate and consistent with the claimant’s right to ""respect for private life. Any training and guidance should be prepared in consultation with disabled people and service user groups"." The Grand Committee has echoed this afternoon what the JCHR said. Before the next stage of the Bill, and after studying the Minister’s responses, we shall have to consider which issues to revisit.