UC - Work Conditionality Sept 23

atlantis187

For info if someone hasn't seen this from todays budget:

5.11 In-Work Conditionality for Universal Credit claimants - The government will bring forward the nationwide rollout of the In-Work Progression Offer, announced at Spending Review 2021, starting with a phased rollout from September 2023, to support individuals on Universal Credit (UC) and in-work to increase their earnings and move off benefits entirely.
This assumes that full-time workers work 35 hours per week and 52 weeks per year. Coverage estimates are based on BEIS internal modelling. Autumn Statement 2022 49 that over 600,000 claimants on UC whose household income is typically between the equivalent of 15 and 35 hours a week at the NLW will be required to meet with a dedicated work coach in a Jobcentre Plus to increase their hours or earnings.

atlantis187

This looks to me they are looking to get rid of AET entirely eventually.
Don't know how this will affect the disabled or carers.

JonVarnas

Love to know how they're going to schedule the appointments. The more hours people are working, the narrower the window to be able to see them and they often struggle just seeing the unemployed who are free all day.

Spoonie_Turtle

atlantis187 said:

This looks to me they are looking to get rid of AET entirely eventually.
Don't know how this will affect the disabled or carers.

It's irrelevant.  The AET for the light touch regime is only applicable people in the all work-related requirements group, not at all applicable to carers or people with LCW/RA.

calcotti

Background
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmworpen/549/54904.htm
and
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-in-work-progression-randomised-controlled-trial

tifo

atlantis187 said:

This assumes that full-time workers work 35 hours per week and 52 weeks per year.

Isn't the usual 35 hours a week a total of 252 working days a year?

tomtom256

JonVarnas said:

Love to know how they're going to schedule the appointments. The more hours people are working, the narrower the window to be able to see them and they often struggle just seeing the unemployed who are free all day.

There are quite a few jobcentres that are now open on a Saturday. Not sure why they would be struggling fitting in the unemployed, diaries generally have plenty of spaces to accomodate all the different appointments required.

huckster

@tomtom256 some Job Centres that were opening on Saturdays have had to stop doing so, because the staffing numbers dropped below number needed to cover appointment diaries over 6 days.

DWP same as many other employers is seeing staff leaving for better paid jobs. The private sector is often now paying significantly more for similar work. A number of Work Coaches I know have left and obtained several thousand more elsewhere.  Also there is salary competition between different Civil Service Departments.

Agree with @JonVarnas that there won't be adequate appointments in diaries and  therefore I think DWP will find other ways to encourage more hours to be worked. For example , more use of digital, where claimants earning below a certain amount will have to complete activities on their claims if they want to retain the benefits. Having to attend online General Information Sessions that could be run in the early Evenings or on a weekend. And of course more mandatory provisions for people to attend, which could be run evenings and weekends by private sector on behalf of DWP.

Gary1963

Probably enlarge the Restart scheme. 

NedS

huckster said:

@tomtom256 some Job Centres that were opening on Saturdays have had to stop doing so, because the staffing numbers dropped below number needed to cover appointment diaries over 6 days.

DWP same as many other employers is seeing staff leaving for better paid jobs. The private sector is often now paying significantly more for similar work. A number of Work Coaches I know have left and obtained several thousand more elsewhere.  Also there is salary competition between different Civil Service Departments.

Agree with @JonVarnas that there won't be adequate appointments in diaries and  therefore I think DWP will find other ways to encourage more hours to be worked. For example , more use of digital, where claimants earning below a certain amount will have to complete activities on their claims if they want to retain the benefits. Having to attend online General Information Sessions that could be run in the early Evenings or on a weekend. And of course more mandatory provisions for people to attend, which could be run evenings and weekends by private sector on behalf of DWP.

I agree. In principle, Jobcentres have scope to open evenings until 8pm and on Saturdays, but staffing those options is another matter. I had not considered some of the alternative engagement methods you highlight - interesting.

tomtom256

NedS said:

I agree. In principle, Jobcentres have scope to open evenings until 8pm and on Saturdays, but staffing those options is another matter. I had not considered some of the alternative engagement methods you highlight - interesting.

It's already staffed and resourced. My local jobcentre is open Monday - Saturday. This was all part of the employee deal that staff had to agree to to get a paltry pay rise about 5 or so years back.

It's only the larger jobcentres that are doing it.