Welfare Reform on the Web (August 2003): Social Security - UK - New Deal

JOBSEEKERS FACE BENEFIT CUTS IF THEY REJECT SKILLS CLASSES

J. Kelly

Financial Times, July 10th 2003, p.4

Jobseekers who refuse to sign up for basic skills classes will have their benefit cut as part of Government plans to improve the productivity of the workforce. From this April all claimants will be screened for basic skills levels and the benefit-cutting pilot introduced to 11 areas across the country.

THE MISSING MILLION: SUPPORTING DISABLED PEOPLE INTO WORK

K. Stanley and S. Regan

London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 2003

There are over one million disabled people in the UK who would like to work. Report suggests a strategy for helping them into jobs. Key elements are:

• understanding why so many disabled people are excluded from work;
• actively encouraging employers to hire disabled people;
• strengthening rehabilitation services;
• changing the social security system so that disabled people can more easily return to benefits if the job doesn't work out;
• deliver successful welfare-to-work initiatives;
• enhance the role of Job Centre Plus.

NEW DEAL FOR LONE PARENTS: SECOND SYNTHESIS REPORT OF THE NATIONAL EVALUATION

L. Evans and others

London: Department for Work and Pensions, 2003

The evaluation evidence shows that the New Deal for lone parents has fulfilled its aims. Participation in the programme has grown over time and most recent estimates suggest that 9% of lone parents on income support now take part. Participation in the programme is positively associated with readiness for, and proximity to, work, and with higher education and skills levels. Compulsory personal adviser interviews for those on income support have increased participation. The programme appears to have had a positive impact on entries to work, with participants twice as likely as matched non-participants to get jobs. Participants rate the programme highly and have positive views of their personal adviser.

WILLETTS URGES RESEARCH TO ACCOUNT FOR 'LOST 600,000'

N. Timmins

Financial Times, July 21st 2003, p.4

Employment may be at records levels and the number claiming unemployment benefit close to its lowest in a generation, but the numbers who are economically inactive are also rising, David Willetts, the Conservative employment spokesman, said yesterday. Mr Willetts said the increase showed the failure of various forms of the government's New Deal - for young people, the over-50s and for people with disabilities - to have a real impact. He added that the government needs to mount a study to establish what is happening to more than 600,000 16 to 24-year olds who are neither in work or in education, and are not being picked up by the New Deal for Young People.

WORKING TO TARGET: CAN POLICIES DELIVER PAID WORK FOR SEVEN IN TEN LONE PARENTS?

D. Thurley (editor)

One Parent Families, 2003

Government aims to get seven out of ten lone parents into work by 2010. In order to achieve this target the government needs to:

• improve provision of affordable child care;
• offer lone parents more education and training opportunities;
• increase the incomes of lone parents working part-time by raising tax credits and the minimum wage.