Recommendation 16

We heard in evidence that when using the ‘Additional Support Area’ in Universal Credit, DWP officials are able to record support needs under the following eight categories: care leavers; armed forces; ex-offender; homeless or risk of homelessness; limited digital ability or accessibility; difficulties with English; drug and alcohol misuse; and an ‘other’ box. It is our view that the category of ‘victims of domestic abuse’ is a glaring omission from this list. Unfortunately, there will be many people dealing with DWP who fall into this category. And they will have particular vulnerabilities and need specialised support that cannot be covered by the other categories and seem more significant than being put into the ‘other’ box. We recommend that the category of ‘victims of domestic abuse’ be added to the ‘Additional Support Area’ in Universal Credit to ensure that this set of vulnerabilities is being looked out for and to signal to DWP officials that people falling within that category will need the offer of additional support. (Conclusion, Paragraph 62)