Covid19, 35 hour Work Search & Claimant Commitments

Some resources that might be of help

claimantcommitments.org.uk

Universal Credit: 35 Hours A Week Work Search Expectation
https://pastebin.com/FxZFceu2

"Work coaches must consider current Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions and national and local health advice when supporting claimants and considering what it is reasonable for them to do

Compliance

Claimants are only expected to do what is reasonable. When workcoaches are considering expected hours of work search and workrelated requirements, they must include the impact of coronavirus. Work coaches should not take any action if the claimant has not met all their work related requirements, but can show a reasonable level of activity.

Work coaches should focus on supporting claimants to do everything reasonable to find work as quickly as possible.Work coaches should not specify what actions a claimant should do to search for work each week day. The current circumstances mean that claimants should be able to organise their own time and work search"
https://mrfrankzola.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/dwp-universal-credit-spotlights-on-first-commitments-by-phone-and-work-search-reviews.pdf

"During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, you will not get a sanction if you cannot keep to your Claimant Commitment" ?
Updated 20 October 2020
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-you/draft-uc-and-you

DWP on the 35 hour "artificial [work search] hours target"
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/315834/response/778656/attach/3/512%20UCKM%20Work%20search%20and%20CC.pdf
> https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ill_spend_35_hours_each_week_loo

Video clip: DWP Secretary of State @theresecoffey expects #BenefitSanctions to be "very rare" under new Claimant Commitment "light touch" regime https://twitter.com/benefitforums/status/1286253096784596995 > https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/2d0d9a4b-4da3-449d-9f03-245c56f8e727 - Wednesday 22 July 2020

UC Claimant Commitment: How to get a Second Opinion to amend it
https://mrfrankzola.wordpress.com/2020/10/28/secondopinion/

Upper Tribunal Ruling:
35 hour rule for “expected number of hours” not immutable
"the claimant has taken all reasonable action for the
purpose  of obtaining  paid work despite the number of hours that the claimant
spends taking such action being lower than" 35 hours per week
RR v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (UC): [2017] UKUT 459 (AAC)
https://www.gov.uk/administrative-appeals-tribunal-decisions/rr-v-secretary-of-state-for-work-and-pensions-uc-2017-ukut-459-aac

Nice round up FZ.