Change to 'Work Search Activity' Guidance

Work Search Activities Change

Hot off the press; This FOI response may be of interest, it’s certainly relevant to our recent discussions:


DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
Our Ref: IR2019/38977
13 November 2019

Dear Florence Daisley,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FoI) internal review request received on 23 October. You asked:

The information contained in the links, supplied, does not address my question in regard to the enforcement of the creation and maintenance of a profile on a specific website/platform nominated by a frontline DWP worker.  

DWP Response:

In response to your request, I can confirm that the handling of your original request and response has now been appropriately reviewed by someone unconnected with the handling of your original request.

As a result of this review I am satisfied that the original response was handled properly and that the outcome of your request was correct at the time of request.

All of the internal guidance related to the creation and maintenance of job profiles was provided to you in our original response.

Since your request, the guidance has been updated and to be helpful, we have included the updated paragraph below.

Welfare reform act section 23.
Work Search Activities

Guidance that has been updated:
http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP20190465/Work_search_activities_v3.0.pdf

Excerpt from updated guidance that directly related to job profiles:
• carrying out work searches
• making applications
• creating and maintaining an online history
• registering with an employment agency
• creating and maintaining job profiles - however, a claimant must not be mandated to use particular Internet or Social Media sites (this must be entirely voluntary)    
• seeking references
• any other actions which reasonably increase the likelihood of obtaining employment

Please note, the updated version will be available in the public domain in Deposited Papers at the end of April 2020. In the interim, it has been updated internally.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me quoting the reference number above.  

Yours sincerely,
DWP Central FoI Team  

I have highlighted the relevant bit to avoid confusion.

I would use this to contest any attempt by a JCP coach or anyone else to include any reference to the Universal Journal site, ‘a particular site’, in a Claimant Commitment without consent and I would so advise.

Anyone concur?

Link to above FOI reply https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/creation_and_maintenance_of_an_o#incoming-1467226 FOI requests on www.whatdotheyknow.com often contain annotations, links to requesters and all their requests and a full history of the requests. Related FOI https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/jsa_and_uc_creating_and_maintain

Claimants with specific DWP Data Protection/GDPR concerns can also contact the Information Commissioner. As a claimant could be directly affected the ICO has an obligation to respond. casework@ico.org.uk - example of one outcome after contact with the ICO https://respectfulbenefits.forumotion.com/t4237-esa50-amended-claimant-can-stop-gp-being-informed-of-wca-assessment-outcome