New regulations are now in effect which could see more than 120,000 working people on Universal Credit across Great Britain receive a job support boost from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). From the end of February, an increase to the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) will mean more Universal Credit claimants will be moved from the ‘Light Touch’ group to the ‘Intensive Work Search’ group.
The earnings threshold determines which group a Universal Credit claimant is placed in, this in turn impacts the level of support they receive to find work and develop a career, and the types of activities they must undertake, such as searching for opportunities to take up more or better paid work or researching new career options. DWP said the change will help more people get better-paid work and boost their long-term prospects.
Combined with a previous increase in September, this will mean around a quarter of a million more people will have been moved into ‘Intensive Work Search’.
