MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee have called on the DWP to reform the conditionality regime, including sanctions, placed on jobseekers and people in work on Universal Credit. The Committee also want to see a personalised action plan, which better reflects their skills and experience, replace the Claimant Commitment.

The recommendation comes in a new report published today by the cross-party group of MPs examining the Government’s planned Jobcentre reforms that the Committee described as a ‘golden opportunity’ for their transformation.

As things stand, Universal Credit claimants must sign a commitment to undertake certain activities, including a requirement to spend 35 hours a week looking for work, to receive their benefits and avoid sanctions. The work-search requirements are ‘too generic and sometimes counterproductive’ leaving people ‘feeling disempowered and unsupported’, the report concluded, adding that a personalised action plan should be co-developed between the claimant and their work coach.

Efforts by the Government to reform Jobcentres were largely welcomed in the report, particularly refocusing Jobcentres’ core role away from benefits monitoring towards employment support. The merger of Job centres with the National Careers Service (NCS) was seen as a real positive and which the Committee will report on later this week. However, the Committee believe that there is the opportunity for more ‘transformational’ change.

As part of the call for a new sanctions regime, the Committee recommended that DWP consider safeguarding and ‘trauma-informed approaches’ tailored to the personal circumstances of claimants in decisions about sanctions. In addition, MPs recommended a return to the pre-2022 conditionality regime where claimants were given 3 months to find work, rather than 4 weeks they have now. The extra time, the report suggested, would improve the chances of claimants finding a suitable job for their skills and circumstances, and increase the likelihood that they would remain employed. The report found that the previously operated ‘any job’ approach created poor levels of job retention, which at a stroke damaged trust in the system for claimants and incentives for employers to find new recruits from Jobcentres as they face increased costs from further rounds of recruitment.

Work and Pensions Committee Chair, Debbie Abrahams said,

“Providing the right support to get people back into the workplace assists not only individual claimants, but businesses and wider society too.”

“While the DWP has made some welcome progress in making a more supportive system for jobseekers, more can be done to really transform the system and encourage people back into work.”

“We need to help end the cycle of claiming benefits, being pushed into any job, and losing it when it is unsuitable or insecure. This undermines the service the Jobcentre is meant to be providing for people and businesses. Who can expect to find a job after four weeks, let alone a decent and secure one? Extending the ‘permitted period’ from 4 weeks to 3 months will improve the chances of people finding a job that works for them, giving them independence and getting them off benefits long-term.”

“This should be accompanied by a significant personalisation of both the support claimants receive and the conditions of their job search. For example, someone with a health condition should not be sanctioned for not taking a job that they cannot do because of that condition just because of a one-size-fits-all approach. A more personalised, flexible approach will improve employment outcomes, give people more control over their lives and help to restore their dignity.”

Of the Jobcentre’s 17,000 work coaches the report concluded that they were an ‘incredible’ asset, but could be deployed better. The 10 minutes for interviews with claimants was ‘not nearly enough to address the needs of claimants who are further from employment’. As a result, MPs on the Committee have called for a review of the work coach model and the difference they make to employment outcomes which should include consideration of greater autonomy.

Sector Reaction

Elizabeth Taylor CEO of ERSA, said:

“Jobcentres must move from being seen as places of compliance to places of opportunity

“That means culture change, stronger partnerships, and a genuine open access service for everyone looking to progress in work.”