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Government work programme flawed say DWP

A mandatory work scheme for jobseekers has done nothing to improve their employment chances and has made them more likely to claim benefits in the long run, according to research by the Department for Work and Pensions.

This research was revealed hours after the employment minister Chris Grayling announced plans to invest millions of pounds of extra funding to expand the scheme to take up to 70,000 referrals annually.

The review by the DWP found that the unpaid work scheme was good at getting people off jobseekers allowance in the short term, but over a longer period were more likely to return to a range of out-of -work benefits when compared with those who had never been referred.

This return to benefits was also found to include a 3% increase in those claiming employment support allowance, a benefit given to those with serious health problems.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for the DWP said: “The results show that … a MWA referral had no impact on the likelihood of being employed compared to non-referrals.

Research indicated that between May and November 2011, over 1,600 individuals had benefits cut for six months for refusing to partake in the scheme or leaving before the end of the designated period.

By contrast, the employment minister said: “We’ve found that a month’s full-time activity can be a real deterrent for some people who are either not trying or who are gaming the system. But we’re also fighting a battle to stop claimants slipping back into the benefits system by the back door.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .