My Lords, these regulations were debated in the other place on 3 March 2014 and I am satisfied that they are fully compatible with our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Government have made clear their commitment to improving sustainable employment opportunities and reducing worklessness, while supporting those who are unable to work or who are looking for work. Helping more people into work is essential to the recovery of the economy and to ensuring that people can achieve their aspirations and those of their families. Given this, we remain committed to giving people the support they need at the time it is needed.
The Government have already taken steps to provide additional support for lone parents but believe that more could and should be done to help them prepare for work. This is the reason for these regulations, which essentially provide for two separate changes. First, these regulations would bring income support into line with employment and support allowance by making the work-focused interview regime more flexible and responsive to individual needs. Secondly, they
would make changes to income support, employment and support allowance, and universal credit in order to offer more support for lone parents with children aged three or older by requiring them to undertake appropriate activities that will help them prepare for work.
Since 2008, the age threshold of the youngest child has changed so that from May 2012 lone parents with a youngest child aged five or over have no longer been entitled to claim income support solely on the basis of being a lone parent. Such lone parents should either be in work or looking for work. We know that many lone parents are already taking steps in preparation for a return to work but we also know that many more lone parents would benefit from additional support to overcome barriers to future employment.
It is worth reflecting on the current position for attending mandatory work-focused interviews, which varies according to the benefit an individual is awarded. Lone parents with a child aged one to five who are entitled to income support are usually required to attend mandatory work-focused interviews every six months. In the year before entitlement ends, interviews take place on a quarterly basis. Lone parents on employment and support allowance with a child aged one to five attend flexible work-focused interviews, with the frequency determined by their work coaches. Under universal credit, lone parents and responsible carers with a child aged one to five also attend flexible interviews, the frequency of which is determined by their advisers.
From April, these regulations will bring in mandatory work-focused interviews for lone parents on income support, in line with the approach already taken for employment and support allowance and universal credit. The frequency of interviews will be determined by the adviser based on the needs of the individual. It means that a tailored package of support can be offered to lone parents at the time they need it rather than at predetermined times set by an inflexible appointments system. The Government believe that this approach will better serve lone parents to prepare for work. As the House has already agreed to this principle in universal credit and employment and support allowance, I trust that noble Lords will not see any reason to oppose this measure.
Secondly, these regulations change the work-related activity requirements for income support, employment and support allowance and universal credit. It might be helpful if I remind noble Lords of the current position. In the existing system, there is no requirement to undertake work-related activity within income support for any claimant. The current position in employment and support allowance is that lone parents in the work-related activity group can be required to undertake work-related activity when their youngest child is five. Currently, there are no requirements in universal credit for lone parents with a child aged one to four to undertake activities to prepare for work.
The mandatory work-related activity changes will affect lone parents and responsible carers with a youngest child age three or four who are entitled to income support solely on the basis of being a lone parent, those in receipt of employment and support allowance—in
both the work-related activity group and new-style employment and support allowance—and those in receipt of universal credit.
The regulations remove the cliff-edge effect of going from not having any work requirements to having full work requirements that is currently faced by many lone parents when their youngest child reaches the age of five. The Government recognise that for many lone parents the main barrier to work or preparing for work has been the lack of affordable childcare. However, the Government have taken steps to improve this position. All children in England aged three and four are now entitled to free childcare for 15 hours a week. We expect lone parents and responsible carers to take advantage of this provision where they can so that they can start preparing for work. Childcare is a devolved matter and Scotland and Wales have their own equivalent offer.
5.15 pm
I will take some time now to explain work-related activity in detail, as I know that noble Lords are interested in how conditionality would be applied. First, I want to make it absolutely clear that work-related activity is not the same as work search and work availability requirements. We are not asking lone parents with young children to apply for or look for jobs. What we would ask them to do is to start thinking about work and what steps they need to take in order to improve their skills and help their chances when they do start looking for work. Lone parents and responsible carers in scope of this change will receive work preparation support based on individual need, which will better prepare them for looking for work in a competitive labour market.
The type of work-related activity that is identified as being necessary for the individual’s prospects of finding work will be at adviser discretion and must have regard to any limitations that the individual may have due to health, disability or the availability of suitable childcare. The work-related activity required of the lone parent or responsible carer must be reasonable and appropriate to improving the individual’s future prospects of finding work. Such activities could include, for example, undertaking skills training relating to literacy, numeracy or IT. Advisers will not mandate lone parents or responsible carers to Scottish or Welsh-funded skills training, although advisers will have the opportunity to send them to DWP-funded skills provision where it is available. Where it is determined that some work-related activity is necessary, the lone parent or responsible carer will be able to restrict their availability for such activity to the hours that their youngest child is in school or in the care of a responsible adult.
These regulations are intended to open up opportunities for more parents to prepare for work and to support them in achieving a better standard of living for themselves and their families. It is therefore right that individuals should accept more responsibility by taking advantage of such support. To make sure that the welfare of parents and their children is not compromised by sanctions which might otherwise escalate too quickly, we have included an easement in the regulations which will ensure that lone parents claiming income support cannot be sanctioned if a failure to meet a requirement
occurs within two weeks of a sanction being applied for a previous failure. This is similar to the position in universal credit. A further easement means that, for income support, we will remove any sanctions at the point at which a lone parent re-engages with their adviser. We have retained “good cause” in the income support regulations, which set out a non-prescriptive list of matters to be taken into account when considering whether a sanction is appropriate. This includes, for example, the availability of childcare, transport difficulties, health and whether the person has understood the requirements, taking into account any learning, language or literacy difficulties.
I conclude by saying that the Government believe that providing more flexible support to meet the needs of the individual is the right thing to do and will have a valuable impact on the lives of lone parents and responsible carers up and down the country. We aim to implement this from 28 April this year to ensure that lone parents and responsible carers can benefit from it as soon as is possible. Jobcentre Plus preparations are well advanced. These regulations are an important part of our efforts to make Jobcentre Plus support more flexible and personalised. I hope that noble Lords will agree with me that this is a right and necessary change, and one which is appropriate to the nature of employment and parenthood in Britain today. I beg to move.