In response to the comments made today by Labour's Work
and Pensions Shadow Secretary , a DWP spokesperson
said:
“The ‘in work progression trials’ helped encourage claimants to
increase their hours, seek out progression opportunities and take
part in job-related training.
“The trials delivered positive results for many of the lowest
paid people who claim Universal Credit and we are now considering
the findings.”
Additional Information
- · This
report only looked at the impact of support and conditionality
for people in work, and is not related to the wider
conditionality measures.
- · This
is part of a much wider suite of tests and trials, including
those funded by the £8m budget award in 2017, not yet concluded
and as we say in the report we are building on it with our next
phase of testing.
- · The
report shows our interventions did make a difference, people did
earn more, and we learned a lot about behaviours and motivators
for those in work. We’re doing exactly what we said we would:
finding out what works.
- · The
trial shows that the frequent and moderate support participants
earned more in the trial on average.
- · The
percentage of people in the trial actually sanctioned was small
(2.4% overall).
-
· Sanctions
have always been part of the welfare system. Sanctions are
designed to encourage people to fulfil the agreed requirements to
receive benefits and it’s only fair to ask claimants to do their
part – and it is right that we test this with those in work, as
part of our broader desire to find out what works to support
people to progress.
- · There
is a well-established system of support available for people who
need it to meet their immediate and most essential needs – such
as immediate hardship payments.
