Welfare Reform Bill

I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, for moving this important amendment. I am pleased that my noble friend Lady Kennedy was able to make our proceedings, despite the pressing issues that she has to deal with. I acknowledge my noble friend’s long-standing expertise and commitment in this area and the important issue that she raises about domestic violence having an impact on children in particular. There was also the point raised by my noble friend Lady Hollis about the transitory nature of housing arrangements for women and children in these circumstances. To the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, I can say that, while we are looking at regulations under the JSA regime, they could and should and will be imported into the progression to work group as well. Clause 3 gives power to prescribe in regulations persons who can receive income-based jobseeker’s allowance without having to meet the usual job-seeking conditions. Our objective is to modify the conditions for jobseeker’s allowance so that it is suitable for people who currently receive income support, such as lone parents with a youngest child under the age of 7. This amendment would place in the Bill a specific category of people who would be able to receive jobseeker’s allowance but who, for a period of three months, would not be required to seek work. That easement would apply to jobseekers with dependent children who have left their previous home through fear of violence. For the most part, it would be of benefit to lone parents with children aged seven or older who have been subject to domestic violence. As we have discussed previously in this Committee, lone parents with older children no longer have automatic entitlement to income support. If they are otherwise work-ready, they can access support through jobseeker’s allowance only; in doing so, they are required to comply with the full labour market conditions that attach to that benefit. However, when putting these provisions in place, we recognise that there will be times when it would be unreasonable to expect the full conditions of jobseeker’s allowance to apply; for example, in cases of recent bereavement or relationship break-up where the pressure to comply with full conditionality could place further stress and anxiety on an individual or their children. I hope that noble Lords will be pleased to hear that these provisions also apply in instances of domestic violence. We have amended the jobseeker’s allowance regulations to enable advisers to use their discretion in cases where there is some domestic emergency. Parents in these circumstances, including lone parents, will be treated sympathetically and advisers will be able to waive the requirement to be available for employment for a period of up to eight weeks on any one occasion in any period of 12 months. That is in addition to the three further periods of one week each that may be allowed under the current rules for the same circumstances. These additional weeks can run consecutively. So depending on the individual’s needs a total of up to 11 weeks could be allowed for such emergencies in any 12-month period. While I understand the very real concerns behind these amendments, I believe the approach we are already taking is the sensible one that enables those facing difficult and stressful times to be supported. We already have provisions in place that enable a period of respite which will give parents subject to violence an opportunity to start to rebuild their lives and self-confidence while not having to worry about attending their jobcentre or looking for work. Prior to the abolition of income support we also want to mirror these provisions within regulations for the progression-to-work group.