DWP MINISTER TO FACE QUESTIONING ON JOBSEEKER’S ALLOWANCE

DWP MINISTER TO FACE QUESTIONING ON JOBSEEKER’S ALLOWANCE

Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Chris Grayling, MP will appear before the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee on Tuesday 5 April to defend proposals that jobseekers should take part in mandatory work schemes or face losing their benefits.

The Committee, which draws attention to statutory instruments which are significant or may show defects, will ask the Minister to explain what effects the regulations will have, and why the DWP appears not to have taken account of the Committee’s earlier criticism that it had failed to explain the scheme to Parliament satisfactorily.

DWP laid the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Mandatory Work Activity Scheme) Regulations before Parliament on 14 March. This is the latest in a series of DWP regulations in which the Committee noted problems. The Minister will also face questions on regulations about the Employment and Support Allowance, and the Social Fund Maternity Grant.

The evidence session will take place at 16:35 on Tuesday 5 April in Committee Room 3A of the House of Lords.