Jobseekers required to do more to find work
7 Apr 2014 02:32 PM
Under new rules coming into force at the end of
this month jobseekers will have to do more to find
work.
Simply ‘signing-on’ for benefits will be a
thing of the past under new rules coming into force at the end of this month
which will mean jobseekers will have to do more to find work.
Employment Minister Esther McVey has hailed the new
rules as a fundamental shift in expectations which helps put to an end the
one-way street to benefits where people start claiming Jobseeker’s
Allowance (JSA) by just signing-on without first taking steps to make
themselves attractive to employers.
Employers looking to fill vacancies want people who are
prepared, enthusiastic and job-ready. That is why, from the end of this month,
we will begin asking jobseekers to take the first basic steps to make
themselves employable before meeting with a Jobcentre Plus adviser, and then if
necessary meet more regularly with their adviser so they get more support up
front.
Minister for Employment Esther McVey
said:
With the economy growing, unemployment falling and
record numbers of people in work, now is the time to start expecting more of
people if they want to claim benefits. It’s only right that we should ask
people to take the first basic steps to getting a job before they start
claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance – it will show they are taking their
search for work seriously.
This is about treating people like adults and setting
out clearly what is expected of them so they can hit the ground running. In
return, we will give people as much help and support as possible to move off
benefits and into work because we know from employers that it’s the
people who are prepared and enthusiastic who are most likely to get the
job.
To
prepare for their first interview with a Jobcentre Plus adviser, jobseekers
will be asked to do things like preparing a CV, setting up an email address and
registering for the government’s new jobs website. This change will mean
people start their JSA claim ready to look for work and will show
they are serious about finding a job as quickly as possible.
People who need it will also have more regular meetings
with their Jobcentre Plus adviser – weekly rather than fortnightly
– to ensure they are doing everything they can to look for work and to
quickly identify any gaps in their worksearch.
All
new JSA claimants will also now have a quarterly review with their
adviser where they will review their progress and job goals to identify what
more they can do to move into work. This will mirror reviews that are carried
out in the workplace to look at achievements and areas for
development.
These new measures are being introduced as figures show
the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance fell by over 363,000
on the year, which is the largest annual fall since 1998. The number of young
people claiming JSA has been falling for the last 21
months.
Figures from the Office for National
Statistics show that the employment rate has hit a 5-year high and a
record 30.19 million people are now in jobs. Private sector employment has
increased by 1.73 million since 2010, showing the government’s long-term
economic plan is proving successful.
The
latest figures also show the number of job vacancies increased in the last 3
months by 23,000 to 588,000.
The
number of people who are unemployed fell by 63,000 in the last 3 months, with
the number of people who have been unemployed for over a year falling by
38,000. The number of unemployed young people also fell by 29,000 and has been
falling now for the last 6 months.
The
government is committed to helping people off benefits and into work and the
vast majority of people move off JSA quickly – over 75% of
people end their JSA claim within 6 months. Every working day
Jobcentre Plus advisers carry out around 98,000 interviews with jobseekers and
there are a range of schemes available to increase people skills and give them
the experience and training they need to get a job, these
include:
- nearly half a million long-term unemployed people have
started a job thanks to the Work
Programme
- Jobcentres have made more than half a million referrals
for training to help people get the skills they need to compete in
today’s job market. And almost 150,000 of those referrals were for young
people
- 277,000 people have taken part in an employer-led
placement or work experience designed to ensure they have the skills for modern
workplaces
- over 65,000 young people have started a job through
the Wage
Incentive
- over 32,000 new businesses have been started thanks to
the New Enterprise
Allowance, which gives expert mentoring and financial support to jobseekers
who want to be their own boss
More information
From 28 April, when a jobseeker has their first
interview with Jobcentre Plus, the adviser will review what they have done to
make themselves employable prior to claiming JSA. If they haven’t
done anything, they will be mandated to comply quickly and if they don’t
they could face a sanction.
If
someone has a good reason which has stopped them from being able to register
on Universal
Jobmatch or provide a CV, then they can be mandated to attend a course
– such as a CV clinic.
Contact Press Office
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