To ask the Minister for Communities, further to government response of COVID-19, how Jobs and Benefits Offices will process new claims for Jobseekers Allowance which currently require claimants to attend an interview at their local office.

All appointments at local Jobs & Benefits offices have been postponed from 16 March 2020 as a response to COVID-19. This means that customers who would normally attend Jobs and Benefits Offices for their New Claim interview are no longer required to do so. In order to ensure that claimants are not disadvantaged by the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 my Department is providing a contingency arrangement during this unprecedented period.

My Department will continue to provide a Telephony Support service to those wishing to make a claim to New Style JSA. In order to maximize efficiency and to negate the requirement for the claimant to attend a Jobs and Benefit Office for a New Claim interview, my Department has introduced a telephony based model, from 19 March 2020, whereby the Benefit Processing Centre will contact the claimant after they have made a request to claim New Style JSA via the Telephony Support service.

The Benefit Processing Centre will establish the claimant’s identity, advise them of options and if required complete the claim to New Style Jobseekers Allowance with the customer whilst they are on the telephone. The Benefit Processing Office will accept the oral evidence provided by customer during the call as sufficient to process the claim and award any entitlement due.