DWP to give people extra help to find work to fill 900,000 UK job vacancies

The Department for Work and Pensions has pledged to give people extra time and support to find work. It comes as new Universal Credit income rules came into effect on May 13 and will require claimants to work at least 18 hours a week to keep their benefits.

The increased Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) means that for those on benefits with work requirements, the minimum income levels have risen to £892 per calendar month for single people and £1,437 for couples.

Natalie Cartmell, DWP District Partnership Manager for Birmingham & Solihull, said staff were doing everything they could to help people get back into work. It published new figures which showed that the number of over-50s claiming benefits fell by 3% in Birmingham and 5% in Solihull compared to the same period last year, as more people in this age group s – they returned to work. However, the total number of claimants in Birmingham rose by 5%, the figures show, indicating there is still more to do to boost the economy.

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Mrs Cartmell said: “Our work coaches say the best part of their job is seeing someone succeed in their employment goals. Giving extra time and personalized support so they get the extra help they need to overcome barriers can make a huge difference in someone’s life. As announced earlier this week, Universal Credit claimants will get extra help from their work coach if they work less than 18 hours a week.

“With nearly 900,000 jobs available, helping people achieve financial security through work helps them build a better life for themselves. Jobcentres support companies to fill vacancies and examples of local activity include a focus on construction work with multiple employers in the region.

“Hospitality also provides great opportunities for our applicants and we are actively working with Resorts World, NEC and Birmingham Airport to support their recruitment needs. Importantly, those on Universal Credit can keep more of what they earn, while parents can receive increased childcare payments. Jobseekers can search our DWP Find A Job website to check the thousands of jobs on offer.”

The DWP’s work effort is to be stepped up with new welfare reforms to reduce economic inactivity. It comes against a worrying backdrop as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced that the UK unemployment rate rose to 4.3% in the three months to March, the highest since May to July this year past and from 4.2% in the previous period. previous three months.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride said: “We are leaving no stone unturned to get people back into work by rolling out the most radical changes to welfare in a generation, including reforming the way we assess someone’s ability to work, revision of the adaptation note. process and helping over a million people through our £2.5 billion back to work plan.

“We will always be on the side of working families and, with real wages continuing to rise, alongside tax cuts and a huge increase in the National Living Wage, we are boosting work over welfare as we build a strong economy where everyone has a brighter future. .”

The DWP reported almost four million people were still in work since 2010 and said the latest rise in unemployment was forecast and expected to continue, partly due to the Bank of England’s decision to keep interest rates high as inflation is lowered again. to target. This trend is mirrored in other countries with high interest rates, he said.

Officials pointed out: “We have a lower inactivity rate than many other heavyweights, including the US, Italy and France – and below the G7, EU and OECD averages. let’s look at alternative sources for employment trends. These sources tell us that the number of people on the payroll is at an almost record level, increasing by 1.2 million since before the pandemic”.

Experts said the Bank of England will be looking closely at the next set of jobs given last month’s nearly 10% rise in the national living wage, while it is also likely to want to see further progress towards target in the upcoming April inflation data.

Liz McKeown, ONS director of economic statistics, said: “We continue to see tentative signs that the jobs market is cooling. At the same time, the steady decline in the number of job vacancies continued for the 22nd month in a row, although the numbers still remain. above pre-pandemic levels.”

Figures from HM Revenue & Customs estimated that the number of UK workers on the payroll fell by 85,000 to 30.2 million in April, the biggest fall since May 2020, although the ONS said that this is subject to review.

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