The big downsides of the Tory government’s plan to push Universal Credit claimants into more work are starting to be seen now.
These follow on from the decision to change the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) for the benefit, by hours worked, to 15 hours per week for single claimants and 24 hours per week for couples.
It means 120,000 people have been moved from ‘Light Touch’ into an ‘Intensive Work Search’ group since February 27.
They’ll be required to attend more face-to-face meetings with a work coach – but I bet they didn’t bargain on the number of meetings they’ll have to take on.
The move means Universal Credit claimants could now be forced to attend jobcentres 10 times in the space of two weeks, according to the Daily Record.
What if a single person is working three hours a day, at awkward times, and the Job Centre is a long way away?
Bear in mind that after receiving UC for 13 weeks, failure to attend Job Centre meetings will mean a benefit sanction – or possibly the loss of it altogether.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, whose members in the civil service are likely to have to administer this change, has damned it as an attack on UC claimants.
It has stated: “We oppose the introduction of any regime that results in more sanctions for claimants and that there is a mass of evidence that the threat of sanctions does nothing to help claimants find work.”
That’s a bit of a blow for Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, who allegedly intends to increase benefit sanctions hugely in his Budget.
The Tory government is insisting that its new regime will help UC claimants get back into work, or increase their earnings – by tailoring its support to focus on specific steps.
But This Writer has seen no evidence to support its claim – and evidence against benefit sanctions has been widely available for many years.
Is this just another attack on the most vulnerable people in the UK?
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