Back to Work explained as Universal Credit could have benefits cut over behaviour

Universal Credit and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimants now have fresh guidelines on the Back to Work schemes and assistance available to them, as well as the potential consequences they face if they don’t follow through on their promises to the benefits system.

The DWP’s update features five different schemes to help people in a range of circumstances get back to work, each with their own set of criteria claimants will have to fulfil.

Also in the updated guidance is a fresh insight on what could get your benefits sanctioned. This consequence cuts a portion or completely stops a person’s benefit payments in certain situations.

For Universal Credit and new-style JSA claimants, the main sanctionable offence is not sticking to the promises you made in your claimant commitment. With the 5 Back to Work schemes now in place claimants could also be sanctioned if they don’t take part in them despite being told to by their work coach.

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If they have a good reason for not taking part they could save their benefits. However, even if they attend and fulfil all the requirements for their Back to Work scheme, claimants could still have their benefits sanctioned based on their behaviour while taking part.

The guide explained: “If you’re asked to leave a scheme because of gross misconduct, such as stealing, violence or verbal abuse, your benefit payments could be sanctioned.” The level of sanction you receive can differ based on a variety of factors from the amount of benefits you receive to the offence you’re being sanctioned for.

The 5 types of schemes the guide unveiled included training or other help to gain new skills, work experience, work trials, sector-based work academy programmes (SWAPS) or Restart. The latter of which offers regular and tailored one-to-one support for claimants trying to get back into the workforce.

Work coaches can refer claimants to one or more of these schemes to help them make the move from benefits to employment. Some local support is also still available through jobcentres such as apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and the ReAct+ scheme which is exclusively for claimants over the age of 20 in Wales who have been made redundant.

Labour’s plans to push more unemployed people Back to Work has put many on edge worried about what may be expected from them. Particularly those who are unemployed for reasons out of their control such as disability.