Strict requirements for people on benefits are pushing people into poor-quality jobs and away from support

The majority of the public are in favour of prioritising positive support over strict job-seeking rules for people on out-of-work benefits, according to polling released today by the New Economics Foundation (NEF).

Almost 70% of people thought it was more important to support unemployed people into quality jobs than pushing them into any job as soon as possible. Polling also found that the public significantly underestimate the scale of job-seeking requirements for people receiving out-of-work benefits.

The polling was accompanied by research which found that, rather than helping to cut the benefits bill, the strict conditions that people on benefits have to meet are backfiring.

Workshops with people receiving out-of-work benefits and discussions with professionals providing employment support both suggested that the Department for Work and Pension’s focus on compliance was driving people into poor quality jobs that they are unlikely to stay in long term or driving them away from engaging with the Jobcentre altogether.

Tom Pollard, head of social policy at the New Economics Foundation, said:

“Politicians tend to assume that the public want the strictest regime around out-of-work benefits possible.

“Successive governments have tried to push people back to work through poverty-rate benefits and the threat of sanctions.

“We now know that this approach is making it less likely that people will get into good jobs that they can thrive in and is pushing many to feel unable to engage with Jobcentre support in the first place. All of this is leading to a higher a greater cost to the public purse.

“The public is ready for our benefits system to shift from a focus on compliance to positively supporting people into good jobs, and our new government should listen.”

The polling found that the public both underestimate the strictness of current conditions placed on benefits, and preferred a focus on good outcomes over strictly policing rules and pushing people off benefits:

The new Labour government has said it wants to support more people into better jobs and address the growing numbers out of work due to disabilities and poor health, in order to tackle a growing benefits bill.

Today’s research suggests both that this will require a more flexible and supportive relationship between Jobcentres and people on benefits, and that the public is willing to support such a shift.

NEF recommends scrapping the requirements for people on benefits to search for work for 35 hours a week and accept any job recommended by a work coach, as well as trialling a new approach in Jobcentres which prioritises voluntary engagement over conditions and sanctions.

Presented with a proposal for such an approach 63% of the public thought it would be more likely to lead to people engaging positively with support than the current Jobcentre model and 61% thought it would be more likely to lead to people moving into a suitable job.