Welfare Reform on the Web (July 2000): Social Security - UK - New Deal

BUDGET FINE TUNES WELFARE TO WORK

P. Bivand

Working Brief, issue 113, 2000, p. 20-22

Summarises changes to the welfare to work programme announced in the Budget in the areas of the New Deals, Employment Zones, and the transition costs imposed by the benefits system on people moving from welfare into work.

CHURCH QUITS NEW DEAL JOB SCHEME

Anon.

Guardian, May 4^th 2000, p. 11

The Church of England Diocese of Liverpool has dropped out of the New Deal programme on the grounds of kafkaesque bureacracy, lack of specialist support and referral of trainees to unsuitable placements.

E

Education and Employment Committee

London: TSO, 2000 (House of Commons papers. Session 1999-2000; HC 60)

Report focuses on the issue of imbalance in the supply of, and the demand for, labour in specific geographical areas, or "jobs gaps". Inquiry focused on the extent and causes of geographical jobs; identifying groups most affected; the impart of jobs gaps on the effectiveness of the New Deal; and the extent of local, national Government and European-sponsored initiatives aimed at creating a better balance between the supply and demand for jobs at the local level, and whether these are sufficient.

EMPLOYMENT ZONES: A SHORT TERM SUCCESS?

B. Dhillon

Working Brief, issue 113, 2000, p. 10-11

An evaluation of Employment Zones suggests that they are effective in getting the long term unemployed into jobs. However the relatively short time participants spent on job preparation programmes meant that they were likely to end up in casual/temporary, rather than sustainable, jobs.

NEW DEAL TO BE EXTENDED TO AREAS OF BIG JOB LOSSES

V. Bakhshi

Financial Times, May 2^nd 2000, p. 4

Reports that the government plans to extend the New Deal through the introduction of a "rapid response scheme" in areas of high unemployment. People are normally eligible for a New Deal place only after they have been unemployed for six months. This requirement would be waived in areas suffering mass redundancies or where unemployment is high.

A VERY GOOD DEAL

P. Davis

Guardian, Apr. 28^th 2000, p. 22

Argues that the New Deal for the Young Unemployed is doing a good job in raising the skills and improving the employability of young people through training packages tailored to individual needs.

WHERE SHOULD ACTION TEAMS BE LOCATED?

P. Bivand

Working Brief, issue 113, 2000, p. 12-13

The Chancellor has announced the setting up of Action Teams to match the unemployed with jobs in the hardest hit areas. However there are three different definitions of unemployment and employment which can lead to different lists of local authorities in need of assistance. Articles argues that the employment rate should be used rather than the workforce-based claimant count rate or the resident-based claimant count rate as it is independent of which benefit may be claimed by those not employed.