In a significant shift for the UK's welfare system, the Government has announced it will drop the controversial demand for benefit claimants to treat searching for a job as a full-time, 35-hour-a-week role.
A Move Away from a 'Rigid Focus'
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), under Labour ministers, confirmed it would abandon the 'rigid focus' on claimants spending 35 hours a week on 'work-related activity'. This decision forms part of a broader overhaul aimed at creating a more supportive and effective system.
The change comes as a partial acceptance of recommendations made by the House of Commons' Work and Pensions Committee. In a recent report, the cross-party group of MPs called for the Government to scrap blanket benefit requirements, which they labelled as 'too generic and sometimes counterproductive'.
The New 'Personalised' Approach
Under the current rules, individuals receiving out-of-work benefits like Universal Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance must agree to a 'claimant commitment'. This has typically included a stipulation to spend 35 hours per week looking for work.
Instead of this one-size-fits-all model, the DWP is now trialling a more tailored system through its 'Pathfinder' scheme. In its official response to the committee's report, the Government stated: 'Instead of a rigid focus on the requirement to undertake 35 hours of work-related activity, through these Pathfinder tests work coaches will be encouraging claimants to take all reasonable steps to search for and prepare for work, considering their circumstances and capability.'
The Government has committed to a 'test and learn' approach, pledging to review the policy based on initial findings from the Pathfinder pilots before considering any further national rollout.
Welcoming a 'Supportive and Humane' System
The committee's chair, Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, expressed satisfaction with the Government's direction. She stated, 'We're satisfied that the Government has a genuine desire to move away from the failed punitive welfare system of old.'
She highlighted that the end of an over-reliance on financial sanctions and a hyper-focus on compliance would help restore faith among claimants. 'They only want to be helped and not vilified to the point of erosion of their self-esteem,' Abrahams added.
She also noted that moving away from the discredited 'any job' approach would help improve damaged relations with employers. While welcoming the Pathfinder pilots as a 'constructive step forward', she did voice concern that the time allocated for initial meetings with claimants had been cut, emphasising that quality time is fundamental for the success of back-to-work schemes.
The committee has stated it will closely scrutinise the results of the new scheme once they are available.
