Help to Work scheme for long term unemployed launches
NEW government measures to tackle long-term unemployment come into force today.
The changes, announced last year, will see tailored back-to-work plans created for those who have been out of work for over three years.
The Help to Work scheme will include daily meetings with advisers at Jobcentres and community work placements of up to six months. Those who fail to participate in the scheme could lose their benefit payments.
Launching the scheme today, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “We are seeing record levels of employment in Britain, as more and more people find a job, but we need to look at those who are persistently stuck on benefits.
“This scheme will provide more help than ever before, getting people into work and on the road to a more secure future.”
Long-term unemployment has already fallen by 93,000 people, the largest annual fall since 1998. But the government’s plan to tackle unemployment has come under fire for lacking transparency.
In March, chair of the public accounts committee Margaret Hodge accused the government of ignoring people’s needs.