PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus (2 March 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has made to ensure that potential staff shortages due to covid-19 do not delay processing of benefits applications; and if she will make it her policy to backdate benefits for any claimants whose application is delayed due to staff shortages.

Asked by:
Mark Tami (Labour)

DWP has contingency plans in place that prioritise activities to protect payments to claimants and access to new claims when capacity is compromised.

The ‘date of claim’ will not be affected by capacity inside the Department.

Answered by:
Mims Davies (Conservative)
5 March 2020