Benefits for my Mum (recent widow)

Alice_Holt

1.4 Easements

Easements are reducing or removing work-related requirements.

In some situations your work-related requirements can be reduced for a period of time due to your personal circumstances. DWP calls these changes easements. You must let your work coach know if any of the situations below apply to you so they can agree suitable work related requirements for your Claimant Commitment.

Situations which result in compulsory easement of work-related requirements for those required to look for work:

Situation	Duration	Information
Bereavement of partner or child	6 months	Easement of work-related requirements for a duration of 6 months.

Alice_Holt

Taken from : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-you/draft-uc-and-you

 Your mum may wish to raise this as a query in her UC journal, asking what "easements" would apply to her. Particularly so, if she is finding it stressful to comply with the work coach's instructions.

If the bereavement is affecting her health, she could see her GP with a view of getting a "fit note" to present to UC, should they continue to prove unhelpful / fail to apply DWP guidance correctly.

calcotti

wwfwilla said:

Is the 6 months grace you speak of set in stone? 

Yes it is, the regulations explicitly state that requirements must not be imposed within six months of the date of death of specified persons.

From DWP Advice for decision making
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1012497/admj3.pdf

Circumstances in which requirements must not be imposed
J3192 In certain circumstances the Secretary of State must not impose a work search requirement on claimants in the all work-related requirements group and any existing requirements cease for as long as the circumstances apply. So long as those circumstances apply then the claimant also does not have to be able and willing to immediately take up work or attend an interview.
..
4. it is within six months of the death of
4.1 the claimant’s partner, where the claimant was the member of a couple or
4.2 a child or qualifying young person for whom the claimant or their partner is responsible for or 
4.3 a child of whom the claimant is the parent

The relevant regulation is UC Regulations 2013 regulation 99(3)(d)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/376/regulation/99 

She should draw the attention of her work coach to the regulations.

ViksHrks

Sorry for u loss.