Coronavirus sees DWP halt face-to-face sickness and disability benefit assessments – Mirror Online
— Read on www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/coronavirus-sees-dwp-halt-face-21698775.amp
Today the DWP has announced that it will be stopping all face to face medical assessments temporarily, I suspect that they will be reinstating them as soon as the crisis ends.
There is no mention of any stoppages regarding face to face appointments, job searching and sanctions. Nor have the DWP been clear in their advice to any benefit claimants.
It is not fair to expect any person be sanctioned whilst we are facing this crisis, nor is it fair to expect anyone to endure already being sanctioned through this crisis.
These are people with already compromised immune systems due to lack of adequate food, heat and they certainly cant afford to buy loo rolls or stock up on anything.Please keep donating to your local food bank because its going to be increasingly difficult for them to access food, toiletries, nappies and baby milk.
Whilst the focus is still on the over 70’s please remember that people with compromised immune systems, disabled people and people with Coronavirus will still be at home isolated.
Because the government isn’t testing the public we just don’t know how many people are actually ill with Coronavirus at home, or are forced into work because they can’t afford to not go into work.
Please look out for each other and check on your friends and neighbours.
More updates as they are released.
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The poor side of life 
They should temporarily close Jobcentres to the public, and suspend conditionality (i.e. Jobsearch and signing appointments), and commence automatic payments. Many of us are still having to use public libraries to do our jobsearch, thereby increasing risk of infection.
Roll out of Universal Credit should be halted.
I am still unclear and uncertain as to whether it would trigger a transfer to UC if a JSA claimant misses a signing appointment due to illness or self – isolation. The DWP information says people won’t be Sanctioned if they are informed in “good time”, what does that mean? If you fall ill on a Friday night and are due to sign on Tuesday then the soonest you would be able to inform them would be Monday, just one day prior to the appointment. It’s chaotic and confusing, just what we have come to expect of the DWP.
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