The Department also effectively switched off many of the usual conditions attached to people’s benefit entitlements early in the pandemic, meaning claimants did not have to demonstrate that they were searching for work to be eligible to receive benefits.21 Claimants were also not able to meet their work coach, and employment support was not provided.22 Responding to another surge in claimants in a way that reduces the Department’s overall offering to claimants may not be an option: if people are expected to return to work once furlough ends, the Department will reasonably be expected to maintain its employment support offer. The Department told us that it hoped it could continue to provide employment support and process new claims “without causing an increase in backlogs in other service lines”.23 The differing impact on different groups