The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that it will start expanding the Additional Jobcentre Support pilot scheme following testing in Partick, Coalville, Crawley and Pontefract jobcentres. DWP boss Mel Stride confirmed on Monday that the current pilot will continue to test how enhanced daily work-focused support, across two weeks, can help eligible Universal Credit claimants into employment in 60 jobcentres across Central Scotland, Surrey and Sussex, West Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
The new regulations could see more than 120,000 working people on Universal Credit across Great Britain receive a job support boost from the DWP. From this week, an increase to the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) means that more Universal Credit claimants will be moved from the ‘Light Touch’ group to the ‘Intensive Work Search’ group.
Mr Stride said that claimants in the Intensive Work Search regime will receive “prior notice of the requirements they will be expected to fulfil”. However, he added that not everyone will be included in the pilot scheme.
