The Jobcentre Plus offer for people with drug and/or alcohol dependency

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1 Working with claimants with a drug and/or alcohol dependency Introduction At the heart of the Government s drug and alcohol strategy is a commitment to transform treatment services to offer recovery as a route out of drug and alcohol dependence. As employment is key to sustaining recovery, enabling people to have every chance of competing in today s labour market is central to the Government s strategy, as is ensuring that the benefit system offers enough support to those people engaging in treatment. The drug and alcohol recovery and employment agenda is a key priority for the Department for Work and Pensions Ministers, and therefore for Jobcentre Plus, as it is estimated that 1 in every 15 benefit claimants are dependent on drugs or alcohol. As such, Ministers have agreed a Jobcentre Plus offer for people who are drug or alcohol dependent to be available across Great Britain. The offer forms part of the wider Pre-Work Programme Jobcentre Plus offer. Background The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) drug strategy is for all claimants on any benefit with a dependence on any drug or alcohol within Great Britain. The way in which Jobcentre Plus Districts support claimants who are dependent on drugs or alcohol is through partnership working with service providers. District Managers have the flexibility to decide if this group are classed as a priority group based on the prevalence of drug or alcohol dependence within their districts. Whilst recognising local priorities, flexibilities and resource constraints within individual Districts, Ministers expect this offer will be available nationally. The Jobcentre Plus offer for people with drug and/or alcohol dependency All pre-work programme benefit claimants who are drug or alcohol dependent are eligible. Benefit claimants with substance dependency will fall into one of four groups. The level of support advisers may offer is determined by which group the claimant falls into

2 Non working age benefit claimants will need to give their consent for a Labour Market System (LMS) client record to be created and their dependency to be recorded via the DPA1 process. If the claimant will not provide consent then the advisor can only signpost to local treatment services. Identifying the appropriate level of support Advisers do not need to be experts in drug or alcohol dependence but they do need to: be non-judgemental/open minded be able to identify customers with issues to overcome, and have the confidence to open discussions on those issues whatever they may be. For more information on claimants with drug and or alcohol misuse see Information for Advisers. For claimants with multiple barriers to work see the Vulnerability Hub for more information. Treatment Services Treatment Services in England, Scotland and Wales are organised into structured and non-structured treatment, see Types of Treatment. The adviser should ask the claimant if they are already undergoing any form of drug and/or alcohol treatment. If the claimant states that they are in treatment, the adviser should ask what this involves and where they attend. Peer Mentor Scheme (Wales only) In Wales the Peer Mentor Scheme will be used to support the voluntary referral process. The scheme already provides an additional wrap around support for adult substance misuse service users who have or who are completing treatment - in the form of Peer Mentors. Levels of Support Group 1 Those in recovery who have a history of drug or alcohol dependency which limits their ability to progress to employment: This group will have a history of drug or alcohol problems, and will also no longer be dependent on drugs or alcohol, nor will they be in treatment. However, their prior history of drug or alcohol dependence

3 Group 2 will pose a barrier to employment (for example, a poor, or no recent work history as a result of their dependency, a criminal record as a result of their dependency). The Get Britain Working Overview gives more details about the Flexible Menu of Back to work support. Whilst this group will have the same access to Jobcentre Plus support as other claimants, a key difference will be that those claimants in receipt of Jobseeker s Allowance (JSA) will have the option to volunteer for the Work Programme after thirteen weeks, see Work Programme referral guidance. Please note: Jobcentre Plus will not retain any responsibility for claimants transferring to the Work Programme from the date of Provider Referrals and Payments (PRaP) referral. Those in recovery, and whose prior history of drug or alcohol dependency does not limit their ability to progress to employment: Group 3 This group will also have a history of drug or alcohol problems, but will no longer be dependent on drugs or alcohol, nor will they be in treatment. Their prior history of drug or alcohol dependence will not in itself pose a significant barrier to employment. For example, they might have a good recent employment history, and are unlikely to have a criminal record. This group will have the same access to Jobcentre Plus support as other claimants. The Get Britain Working Overview gives more details about the Flexible Menu of Back to work support. Those who have a drug or alcohol dependency but who either are already in treatment or who volunteer to engage in treatment: Claimants must be in structured treatment to be classed as in treatment, this will be either Residential Treatment or Community Treatment, see Types of Treatment. Residential Treatment Claimants in, or who have recently left, residential treatment for drug or alcohol dependence: Claimants undergoing residential treatment for a drug or alcohol dependence are likely to fail to meet conditionality for Jobseekers Allowance. Claimants undergoing residential treatment making a claim to Employment and Support Allowance are treated as having a Limited Capability for Work (LCW), where verified by medical services, for the duration of residential treatment. These claimants will be subject to

4 normal processes with regard to determining Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA). It is therefore likely that, for the duration of their stay in residential treatment, these claimants will have little or no contact with Jobcentre Plus and will not require any employment support. The claimant can of course request employment support. If an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant reaches their Work Programme mandatory referral date whilst they are in residential rehabilitation an exemption might apply up to the date their rehabilitation ends. See Work Programme guidance for more information. When residential treatment ends, claimants are likely to engage with aftercare services or structured community treatment. In both cases the claimant will be treated as being in treatment. If it becomes apparent to an adviser that an individual has recently successfully completed residential treatment then consideration should be given to offering them the same support as for claimants in structured community treatment. See Work Programme deferral guidance Claimants in structured community treatment for drug or alcohol dependence: If the claimant states that they are in treatment, the adviser should ask what this involves and where they attend. If they are in structured community based treatment: their accommodation will be in the community, and will usually be separate from their treatment regime, however some treatment systems have linked accommodation, local treatment provides would be able to advise further they will have, and should be aware of a treatment care plan agreed with the treatment provider which outlines a structured plan of activity to tackle their dependency they will have a drug or alcohol treatment key worker. It should be noted that all individuals will always be in structured community treatment where they are: being prescribed methadone, or other similar substitute drugs for a heroin (or other opiate) dependency; they are undergoing counselling or other psychosocial interventions for their dependency as part of a structured programme. It should also be noted that structured community treatment can be either full or part-time in nature. Where none of the above applies:

5 Interventions from general healthcare - claimants might be receiving interventions from general healthcare and other services that are not specialist drugs services, for example, hospital A&E departments, pharmacies, GPs.; or Open-access day treatment services - they might be engaging with open-access drug treatment services (such as drop-in centres). This includes the provision of advice, information and harm reduction (such as needle exchange) provided by specialist drug treatment terms. These are defined as non-structured treatment, and should be treated in the same way as claimants with a drug or alcohol dependence who are not engaged with any treatment providers. See Group 4. Further information can be found in Types of Treatment. Action to take for claimants in treatment When the adviser is satisfied that the claimant is in treatment (see Types of Treatment) they should record the claimants drug or alcohol dependence on LMS. Where the disadvantaged marker has not already been completed the adviser must ask the claimant about consenting to having the information recorded via the DPA1 process see Recording Sensitive Information and Recording Treatment Status. Advisers should also give consideration to the following: Jobseeker s Allowance (JSA) & Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants in the Work Related Activity group and in community structured treatment to be offered joint case conferencing limited to education, training and employment needs, with treatment providers. Jobseekers Agreement (JSAg)/Action Plans to be appropriately tailored to reflect the needs of the individual in treatment (particularly where an individual is engaged in a full-time treatment programme) see Tailoring the Jobseekers Agreement (JSAg)/Action Plan. advisers to encourage volunteering including on a full time basis for those on JSA, for further details see Work Together guidance; caseloading with an appropriately experienced adviser and Flexible Interventions to be carried out on treatment provider premises wherever possible. claimants on JSA can volunteer for the Work Programme after 13 weeks, see Work Programme Referral guidance. Group 4 Those who have a drug or alcohol dependency but are not engaged in treatment: Claimants not in structured treatment will be classed as not in treatment, this includes Interventions from general healthcare or Open-access treatment services, see Types of Treatment.

6 If the claimant is not in any form of treatment or admits that they have a problem with drugs or alcohol, but refuse to disclose whether or not they are in treatment, then they are subject to the standard Jobcentre Plus regime. Advisers should encourage a voluntary referral to an appointment with: a drug or alcohol treatment provider in England a treatment provider via the Alcohol & Drug Partnership (ADP) Single Point Of Contact (SPOC) or where District have an agreement in place with local service providers, in Scotland, or the Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales for an initial assessment wherever possible. Advisers should also explain how they can support the claimant in treatment, for example, by tailoring the Jobseekers Agreement (JSAg)/Action Plan to take account of any treatment commitments. Claimants transferring from Incapacity Benefit to Employment and Support Allowance Claimants migrating from Incapacity Benefit (IB) to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) with drug and/or alcohol dependency are likely to be identified within the Benefit Centre (BC) process. Jobcentre Plus will be notified of claimants with a drug and/or alcohol dependency on form ESA23/IBM23. The assistant adviser or equivalent nominated person, will receive form ESA23/IBM23 from the BC when a claimant with a drug and/or alcohol dependency is identified from the ESA50 form which is returned to the Benefit Centre from ATOS in the ESA55 file. The information in the additional notes box on the ESA23/IBM23 form will be an exact copy of the claimant s response to the ESA50 question about their drug and/or alcohol dependency. The assistant adviser or equivalent nominated person, will alert the adviser that the claimant has a drug and/or alcohol dependency by recording ESA23(D) in the Labour Market System (LMS) conversations. If the claimant has stated that they are in treatment for their drug and/or alcohol dependency they should record in treatment in LMS conversations. It will then be up to the adviser to have a discussion with the claimant about how this affects their ability to find and sustain employment. Where ESA claimants are identified as: undergoing residential rehabilitation for their drug and/or alcohol misuse and

7 reach their mandatory Work Programme Referral date a Work Programme exemption to the date residential rehabilitation ends might be appropriate. See Work Programme deferral guidance for more information. Recording Sensitive Information Data protection The Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 attaches extra safeguards to the processing of Sensitive Personal Data and sensitive data can only be processed where: the data subject/claimant has given their explicit consent; and data processing is required to enable the Department to carry out its functions. For Jobcentre Plus purposes the DPA1 process ensures compliance with legislation. See LMS Data Protection Compliance Guide. Claimant consent Claimant consent must always be obtained before recording any sensitive information. Form DPA1 is used to explain the process to the claimant and record claimant consent. Once completed the DPA1 form allows the Disadvantaged Groups misuser of drugs/misuser of alcohol marker to be completed in LMS identifying the claimant as being disadvantaged in the labour market and potentially needing additional support. Consent must be reviewed and permission obtained to renew the marker every twelve months. It is recommended that advisers check that a current DPA1 is held each time they deal with a disadvantaged claimant to ensure compliance with current legislation. The adviser will also record DPA1 Completed in the LMS conversations Details field. Where the claimant refuses consent the adviser MUST NOT complete the disadvantaged marker, make a referral, set any drug or alcohol related status or record sensitive information anywhere on LMS. The adviser will need to explain this to the claimant and that consequently, similar questions may be asked of the claimant in the future. (See the LMS Data Protection Compliance Guide) Disadvantaged groups marker

8 The disadvantaged groups marker, see LMS data protection compliance guide and Hotspots and marker guidance, was developed in the context that any claimant with one or more of the disadvantages listed on the Labour Market System (LMS) could be at a disadvantage in seeking/retaining employment. Essentially this should allow advisers to identify specific support or services that might assist the claimant in seeking and retaining employment. A claimant may be identified as having a drug or alcohol dependency at any stage of their claim to benefit. A claimant may openly volunteer information or, if during the course of an interview, an adviser suspects drug or alcohol dependency, they should ask the claimant whether there are any factors that affect their ability to work or the type of work they can do, such as the use of drugs or alcohol. If an adviser suspects drug or alcohol dependency but the claimant denies they are drug or alcohol dependent, the adviser MUST accept this and no further action is to be taken. Where the claimant admits to drug or alcohol dependency, the adviser should check whether the Disadvantaged groups misuser of drugs/misuser of alcohol marker is set on the LMS client record. If the disadvantaged marker is not already set, request the claimants consent to record them as a misuser of drugs/alcohol as appropriate via the DPA1 process. Where consent is provided, set the disadvantaged groups misuser of drugs/alcohol marker according to current Jobcentre Plus procedures. (See the LMS Data Protection Compliance Guide) Where identified as a claimant with a drug and/or alcohol dependency and not already in treatment, the adviser will record this on LMS see Recording Information on LMS and provide information about the voluntary referral to a discussion with a drug treatment provider Voluntary Referral to a Treatment Provider operating for claimants receiving adviser support through the interventions regime i.e. JSA/ESA/IS Single Point of Contact (SPOC) All Districts in England, Scotland and Wales will have an agreed Single Point of Contact (SPOC) within treatment services. In Scotland discussion appointments are made via the Alcohol & Drug Partnership (ADP) Single Point of Contact (SPOC) or service provider depending on local arrangements and in Wales advisers should contact the Peer

9 Mentor Scheme to make appointments for the claimant s discussion about their drug and/or alcohol dependency. Under the partnership structure Districts will have agreed/confirmed a SPOC with their local drug and/or alcohol treatment providers or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales and confirmed referral arrangements for claimants. Adviser explanation to claimant When a claimant is considering attending an appointment with a treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales the adviser should explain to the claimant that: the discussion and any subsequent engagement in treatment is completely voluntary it is an initial discussion with a treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales to discuss the nature and extent of the claimant s drug and/or alcohol dependency it will establish whether a referral to treatment might be appropriate and will also identify any immediate needs, such as urgent health issues that need to be addressed as a priority that for Jobseeker s Allowance (JSA)/Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants the Jobseeker s Agreement (JSAg)/Action Plan can be tailored to support treatment commitments. Informed consent given For the adviser to arrange an appointment with a treatment provider the claimant must also agree to Jobcentre Plus sharing their personal details with the provider by giving their informed consent on the referral form TPR1 or TPR1W. Once consent is given the adviser can make an appointment with a treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales following the locally agreed process. The current TPR1/TPR1W. form obtains claimant consent on initial completion for both sending and returning the completed form. It should also be noted that treatment providers or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales DO NOT need additional claimant consent to return the attendance information. The adviser will complete form TPR1/TPR1W, see completion notes obtain the claimants signature at the declaration and photocopy twice. One copy will be given to the claimant, one copy posted to the treatment provider and the copy with the original claimant signature will be retained in the Labour Market Unit (LMU) or equivalent. The Adviser should record the referral on the Labour Market System (LMS). See Recording information on the Labour Market System (LMS).

10 Some claimants may benefit from additional information about their treatment provider appointment, in these cases advisors have the option of completing the Treatment Letter. For JSA, ESA and other benefit claimants, where appropriate, the adviser should consider booking a Flexible Intervention with the claimant to follow up the referral and agree further action. Informed consent not given If the claimant is willing to attend an appointment but doesn t agree to Jobcentre Plus sharing their personal details with the treatment provider the adviser should record the treatment provider s or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales name address and telephone number on the referral form (TPR1/TPR1W). They should then give this to the claimant to enable them to make their own appointment with a treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales. The claimant should be asked to return the referral form, to the Jobcentre or Provider/Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales, once completed by the treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales, to confirm their attendance. As Jobcentre Plus does NOT have the claimant s consent to record referral and attendance information LMS MUST NOT be updated. The adviser should consider booking a Flexible Intervention with the claimant to follow up and agree any further action with the claimant. Voluntary Referral to a Treatment Provider operating in Great Britain for claimants receiving other benefits Claimants who are not receiving adviser support through the Jobcentre Plus interventions regime who contact Jobcentre Plus to ask for help with their drug and/or alcohol dependency can be signposted to an available appropriate treatment provider, Alcohol & Drug Partnership (ADP) or service provider in Scotland depending on local arrangements or the Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales. If Districts wish to obtain consent to set up an LMS client record for these claimants and refer formally they are free to do so but must also complete the DPA1 process to allow recording of the claimant s dependency. Districts will need to agree a process for signposting with their local treatment providers, ADP or service provider in Scotland or the Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales, for example, who will signpost and how. This process will need to be agreed and in place before signposting begins, see the District Provision Tool.

11 Examples of benefit claimants who could be signposted to treatment are claimants receiving Incapacity Benefit (IB), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Carers Allowance, Council Tax Benefit, War Pension, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB), this is not an exhaustive list. More information on the Jobcentre Plus interventions regime can be found in the Get Britain Working Core Interventions Guidance. Payment of claimant fares to attend the treatment appointment Advisers should consider payment of travel costs associated with attending a discussion with a treatment provider through the Flexible Support Fund. Claimant attends appointment with treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales It should be decided locally who should receive returned TPR1/TPR1W forms and take the necessary action to update the Labour Market System (LMS) opportunity. TPR1/TPR1W attendance confirmation received When the TPR1/TPR1W confirms that the claimant has attended and the claimant has signed a DPA1 form, attendance should be recorded on the LMS opportunity as a start'. A note should be added on the Labour Market System (LMS) conversations to check how the appointment went with the claimant at the next flexible intervention meeting. Attendance at a meeting with a drug or alcohol treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales is NOT an indication that a claimant has started treatment. Treatment status should only be changed from [Not In-Treatment] to [In-Treatment Not Verified] where the claimant states they have entered treatment. See Amending Treatment Status. At the next flexible interventions meeting the adviser should discuss with the claimant how the appointment with the treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales went to establish whether the claimant has started treatment Where the claimant confirms they have entered treatment consider amending the Jobseeker s Agreement (JSAg)/Action Plan to take account of treatment commitments.

12 If the claimant does not wish to discuss the appointment with the treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales the adviser should explain that without this information they will not be able to tailor the JSAg/Action Plan to accommodate the treatment regime. TPR1/TPR1W returned where consent not given When the claimant returns the TPR1/TPR1W form confirming attendance it should be filed in the Labour Market Unit (LMU) or equivalent for future reference. At the next flexible Intervention the adviser should discuss with the claimant how the appointment went with the treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales to establish whether the claimant has started treatment. If the claimant does not wish to discuss the appointment with the treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales the adviser should explain that without this information they will not be able to tailor the Jobseeker's Agreement (JSAg)/Action Plan to accommodate the treatment regime. TPR1/TPR1W attendance confirmation not received Where the referral has been made by Jobcentre Plus, claimant consent for the treatment provider, or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales, to notify attendance/non attendance will have been provided by the claimant on signing the TPR1/TPR1W, at the time the appointment was made. If the TPR1/TPR1W has not been returned by, the workflow prompt set or, seven working days after the appointment date Jobcentre Plus will follow up confirmation of attendance/non-attendance with the: claimant at their next Flexible Intervention the treatment provider Single Point of Contact (SPOC) or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales if the claimant gave consent. Claimant does not attend and TPR1/TPR1W received from treatment provider or Peer Mentor Scheme in Wales If the claimant failed to attend for any reason, the adviser should discuss the reasons for non-attendance, at the next Flexible Intervention, and consider whether a further referral would be appropriate. The adviser should encourage the claimant to consider

13 another appointment explaining to them that they can tailor the JSAg/action plan to support the claimant in treatment. Advisers should create a workflow on the Labour Market System (LMS) to prompt follow up on progress. Please note: a workflow can only be created where the claimant has given their consent on a DPA1 form. DPA1 process. Tailoring the Jobseeker s Agreement/Action Plan Consider flexibilities within the Jobseeker s Agreement (JSAg)/Action Plan to take account of identified drug or alcohol dependence and if appropriate existing treatment commitments. For example, regular attendance/supervised consumption of a drug substitute like methadone. Drug or alcohol dependence can interfere with relationships, mental and physical health which should be considered when drawing up or amending the JSAg/Action Plan. Consideration should also be given to the: implications that drug or alcohol dependence, current or past, may have on the claimant s chances of gaining and retaining employment, and type of employment the claimant could reasonably undertake. For example, it would not be appropriate for a claimant under the influence of alcohol or drugs to drive or work with machinery. Case Conferencing with Treatment Providers in England, Scotland and Wales Advisers should support case conferencing, limited to education, training and employment needs, with treatment providers whenever possible to ensure the claimant is receiving the support they need and to collaboratively agree employment focused goals. This process is instigated by the: treatment/service provider in England or Scotland Peer Mentor Scheme/treatment provider in Wales where the claimant agrees. This is normally considered at the 12 week care plan review stage during treatment and is known as the Employment Training and Education (ETE) routeway.

14 District Partnership teams are encouraged to work together with treatment providers to decide how best to implement the ETE routeway at a local level. For advisers in England this is laid out in the Jobcentre Plus/Public Health England Joint working protocol called Employment and recovery - a good practice guide. Employment Training and Education routeway In England, Scotland and Wales the Employment Training and Education routeway (ETE) routeway ensures that claimants continue to be supported during their treatment journey, by the sharing of information on their ETE needs. District Partnership teams should check with their local treatment providers and any contracted providers to discuss the best way of adopting the ETE routeway within their area. The ETE routeway will be aimed at Jobcentre Plus claimants who are engaged with treatment services, following a: voluntary referral by Jobcentre Plus referral via the criminal justice route, or self referral. The process is completely voluntary and depends entirely on claimant consent. Form TPR2/TPR2W is used to support the process Partnership Working/Outreach Services The Partnership Agreement Framework will underpin much of this work, allowing Districts to focus resource where it is most needed, taking into account local priorities. The Framework provides lower level detail on the types of partnership activity needed to support disadvantaged claimant groups. Districts should decide how this should best be delivered to reflect capacity and local priorities. Outreach Districts should consider the feasibility of providing more face to face support in treatment provider premises to engage with claimants who have a drug and/or alcohol dependency more effectively and ensure they are able to claim the benefits they are entitled to more easily. Consideration could also be given to building up a Jobcentre Plus sponsored network of volunteer advocates (ex-dependents), should this prove a cost effective mechanism to deliver this service. There may also be potential to do more to link up with the work advisers are already doing in prisons.

15 Entry to the Work Programme Jobseeker s Allowance (JSA) claimants who have or have had a history of drug or alcohol dependency which limits their ability to progress to employment and who are either in recovery, already in treatment or volunteer to engage in treatment will have the option to volunteer for early access to the Work programme. JSA claimants who qualify for early entry will be able to volunteer for the Work Programme after week 13 of their claim, see Work Programme Referral guidance. Before recommending early access to the Work Programme the adviser should be satisfied that the claimant is able to engage in the programme and their dependency limits their ability to progress to employment. If the adviser is not satisfied that the claimant is able to engage or their dependency does not limit their ability to progress to employment they should consider signposting the claimant to more appropriate support. The Get Britain Working Overview gives more details about the Flexible Menu of Back to work support Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants have their own referral points for entry to the work programme. A specific Work Programme Referral exemption category has been introduced to support ESA claimants undergoing residential rehabilitation for drug and/or alcohol dependency who reach their mandatory referral date. The new category Residential Rehab/In- Hospital allows a Work Programme Referral date to be postponed until the end of Rehabilitation or alternatively a two week review cycle. See Work Programme Referral and deferral guidance. Jobcentre Plus will hand over all responsibility, for claimants transferring to the Work Programme Contracted Providers from the date of Provider Referrals and Payments (PRaP) referral. Work Programme Providers will need to establish their own point of contact and referral process with treatment services for their participants with drug and/or alcohol dependency. When referrals are made to Work Programme the data should be accurate and up to date so providers are aware of those claimants who need more intensive support. Therefore claimant permission should be sought to share any relevant information on the action plan, and staff should check that the disadvantaged marker is present. Work Programme Referral Jobseeker s Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Claimants with drug and/or alcohol dependency are eligible for

16 the Work Programme. JSA claimants will have voluntary access to the Work Programme from thirteen weeks. ESA claimants fall within specified groups most of which also have voluntary access. However, ESA (IR) claimants with 3 or 6 month Work Capability Assessment prognosis will be referred at a mandatory referral point prompted by LMS. Where these claimants are engaged in Residential Rehabilitation for drug and/or alcohol dependency a referral exemption may be applied. See Work Programme deferral guidance for more information. It is important to ensure the Work Programme Providers are made aware of those who need the more intensive support and when referrals are made to Work Programme the data should be accurate and up to date. Therefore claimant permission should be sought to share any relevant information on the action plan and staff should check that the disadvantaged marker is present.