Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (): I wish to inform the House that today the Department
for Work and Pensions will start expanding the Additional
Jobcentre Support pilot following testing in Coalville, Crawley,
Partick and Pontefract Jobcentres.
The current pilot will continue to test how enhanced daily work
focused support, across two weeks, can further support eligible
Universal Credit claimants into employment in 60 jobcentres
across Central Scotland, Surrey & Sussex, West Yorkshire,
Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
This additional support will increase a claimant’s employability
through provision of additional one to one work search
conversations with work coaches and through work search support
sessions to help claimants overcome any challenges they may be
experiencing. The Claimant Commitment, which sets out each
claimant’s agreed work-related activities, will be regularly
reviewed and activity will be focused on specific steps to
support people to move into work.
Evidence shows that the longer a person is out of work the harder
it is for them to return. A claimant’s likelihood of securing
employment declines after 13 weeks, so we will focus this support
on those who remain unemployed or with low earnings after 13 and
26-weeks of claiming Universal Credit.
Claimants in the Intensive Work Search regime will receive prior
notice of the requirements they will be expected to fulfil.
Claimants who will not be in scope for the pilot are those:
- Awaiting a Work Capability Assessment;
- Required to undertake less than 20 hours a week of work
search activity;
- Who are Gainfully Self-Employed;
- Who have no work related requirements;
- With an easement in place; and
- On a full-time provision offer.
Within the pilot, we will also test a scheme to recognise and
reward jobcentre teams who furthest exceed their aspirational
targets. The reward scheme will be rolled out to 30 of the 60
jobcentres testing enhanced daily support and an additional 30
jobcentres.
Therefore, in addition to a control group, 90 jobcentres will now
be involved in the pilot:
- 30 sites will test enhanced daily support only;
- 30 sites will test enhanced daily support and the rewards
scheme; and
- 30 sites will test the rewards scheme only.
