Work experience for the long term unemployed
28/04/2014
The long term unemployed will now have to enter the new ‘Help to Work’ scheme or face reduced benefits. Additionally, those wanting to claim Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) will have to prove they are ready for work before they can apply.
Under the scheme participants will have to attend the job centre every day, whilst there will also be work experience placements and intensive coaching offered as part of the scheme.
Those who refuse to take part in the scheme could lose their benefits for four weeks.
‘Extra support’
Employment Minister Esther McVey dismissed any fears over the underlying intentions of the scheme, claiming that the scheme was “absolutely not” about punishing people for not being able to find work.
She said that the people who will be affected by the ‘Help to Work’ scheme are the hardest to help, which has led to the government wanting to provide “extra support”.
These comments were echoed by Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, who said: "Everyone with the ability to work should be given the support and opportunity to do so”. He continued by criticising the previous system which “wrote too many people off” and “was a huge waste of potential” for individuals and their families.
However, the Shadow Employment Minister, Stephen Timms, argued that the coalition government had mis-diagnosed the problem. He said that “nearly one in 10 people claiming jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) lack basic literacy skills”, with many of these unable to perform simple tasks such as sending an email or performing a mathematic calculation.
Timms continued by promoting Labours alternative approach by stating: "A Labour government will introduce a basic skills test to assess all new claimants for JSA within six weeks of claiming benefits."
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