The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is checking Universal Credit claimants are looking for work. It is introducing stricter rules and a clampdown on Universal Credit as part of its "Back to Work" plan.
Claimants must attend job interviews, write a CV, look for work and attend work meetings at the Jobcentre. The DWP said it would specifically focus on those who had been claiming and were unemployed after 13 weeks or had low earnings after 26 weeks, reports Birmingham Live.
However, some people are exempt, here is a list of those who aren't required to hunt for jobs:
- Claimants who are waiting for work-capability assessments
- Those required to do less than 35 hours a week of work search activity
- People already ruled exempt
- If a medical professional has said you might have less than 12 months to live,
DWP explained on the government website: "The claimant commitment is your record of the responsibilities that you have accepted in return for receiving Universal Credit, and the consequences of not meeting them."
"Your Universal Credit payments may be cut if you don't meet your responsibilities. This is called a sanction."
And it then adds: "Your commitments will clearly state what will happen if you fail to meet each of your responsibilities."
"You may receive a reduction in your benefit, known as a sanction, if you fail to meet one of your responsibilities and cannot give a good reason to explain why. How long sanctions last depends on what you failed to do and how many times you failed to meet your responsibilities, without good reason."
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