Member

Proposed new sub-paragraph (1)(a) of the amendment places a duty on officials to consider the impact any time a person was a victim, even where the DWP did not and could not know that this was the case. Proposed new sub-paragraph (1)(b) implies a duty to assess whether there is reason to believe that the person is at risk of domestic abuse, but in most cases officials would not be able to make that assessment without engagement from debtors.