Back-to-work drive targets 120,000 claiming benefits

THE Government’s back-to-work drive will provide extra job coaching for 120,000 people on benefits under regulations that come into force today.

More Britons on Universal Credit will be entitled to more face-to-face time with a work coach as a result of a rise in the administrative earnings threshold (AET). The changes mean more people will move from the “light touch” group to the “intensive work search” group, meaning they will be reviewed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on a more regular basis.

The DWP hopes this will enable jobseekers to have more opportunities to develop their skills or progress in their current field.

Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said: “A hallmark of a compassionate society is giving those on low incomes the tools to progress and earn more.

“It is important that we continue to deliver targeted support so that those in work have access to the expertise and guidance of our work coaches.

“By raising the administrative earnings threshold, we are forging a robust labour market, building on positive changes we have already made and supporting even more people to progress in the workplace.” During a Cabinet away day at Chequers last week, Mr Stride used his slot to lay out the scale of Britain’s inactivity problem and its key drivers as he confirmed he is targeting students, the long-term sick and disabled, carers and the over-50s in the back-to-work push.

He insisted that a cross-government approach will be needed to deal with the issue, with the health, education and business departments told they will have to take action to reduce the scale of the problem. It came as a report by the campaign group Rest Less found that three in five (60 per cent) of people out of work on long-term sickness benefits are over the age of 50.

In an effort to cut the number of economically inactive adults who are of working age in the UK, the Government has hired dozens of “50-plus champions” who work with job centres “to change employer attitudes about hiring over-50s”.