A Chesterfield campaigner has criticised changes to Universal Credit – which will see jobseekers having to look for work outside their chosen field more quickly or face sanctions as reported in the Derbyshire Times 28th January 2022
Under the Government’s ‘Way to Work’ push, claimants will be given just four weeks – down from three months – to find a job within their preferred sector. If people fail to make ‘reasonable efforts’ to get a job or turn down employment, they could see their benefit payment reduced. Ministers want 500,000 jobseekers in work by the end of June. But Colin Hampton, coordinator of Chesterfield-based Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centre, criticised the ‘Way to Work’ policy.
He said: “Over the years, all relevant research, even the Department for Work and Pensions’ own research, has shown that benefit sanctions don’t work. “Rather than forcing people into the labour market, stopping benefits is more likely to lead to destitution, homelessness or the Hartington wing in Chesterfield.
“Those who haven’t a car will be sanctioned because they can’t get to work for the shift times. People will lose their benefits when refusing work that is totally inappropriate for them. We at Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres have seen this all before. We want to see people finding good jobs that lift them out of poverty – this policy will definitely not do that.”