According to a recent report from the public spending watchdog, over half of job centres are scaling back support for individuals claiming Universal Credit due to a deficit of work coaches. The National Audit Office cited reasons such as insufficient funding and recruitment and retention challenges for the cutbacks. This comes as the number of claimants deemed in need of assistance has surged from 2.6 million to 3 million within a year.
In response to the staffing shortage, the government stated that it was reallocating 1,000 work coaches to alleviate the situation. However, a charity focused on combatting poverty expressed concerns that the lack of resources undermines efforts to enhance employment opportunities for disabled individuals, as highlighted in the chancellor’s recent Spring Statement. Iain Porter, senior policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, criticized the government for utilizing promises to bolster employment as a rationale for implementing significant cuts to disability benefits.
The report published on Monday revealed that there were 2,100 fewer work coaches employed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in England, Wales, and Scotland than deemed necessary. Approximately 57% of job centres took advantage of flexibilities provided by the DWP to reduce support for claimants when caseloads were overwhelming between September 2023 and November 2024. Changes to income regulations resulted in an additional 400,000 individuals qualifying for support in the year leading up to October.
Despite the challenges, in the Spring Statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined plans to save £4.8 billion by the end of the decade through reforms to the benefits system. Moreover, £1 billion was designated to offer personalized employment support to aid individuals in returning to work. The DWP emphasized its efforts to redeploy staff to assist sick and disabled individuals in finding employment and to modernize job centres by implementing new digital tools. A spokesperson acknowledged the need for enhancing support systems to truly guide individuals back into the workforce effectively
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