Young Wrexham

Work Schemes

If you are claiming Universal Credit and have a personal advisor they might suggest or decide that you take part in a work scheme.

There are a number of schemes:

The Work Experience programme

This voluntary to join and will give you experience of a working environment for 2 - 8 weeks.

• It is for people aged 16 to 24, although Jobcentre Plus can agree to this scheme for over 25's
• Once you accept a place it becomes compulsory and you are still expected to actively seek work whilst attending
• If you fail to attend or lose your place you might have your Universal Credit stopped or reduced

The Mandatory Work Activity Scheme

This is for people over 18 years of age and over who need extra support to gain employment and is something that your personal advisor will decide when they interview you.

• It is a 'work for your benefit' scheme with a work activity for up to 30 hours a week over a four-week period
• For people who have no work experience this can be really useful in helping them to find work after the scheme
• If you fail to attend or lose your place you might have your Universal Credit stopped or reduced

The Employment, Skills and Enterprise Scheme

This scheme aims to help people find employment or self-employed work by gaining experience with employers.

• It is a 'work for your benefit' scheme that your personal advisor decides whether you should take part in
• If you fail to attend or lose your place you might have your Universal Credit stopped or reduced

The Work Programme

This is part of the Employment Skills and Enterprise Scheme. This is compulsory for some people and voluntary for others, however once you have taken up a place it then becomes compulsory.

The Work Programme offers paid incentives to organisations on behalf of Jobcentre Plus to help you to find work. If you fail to attend or lose your place you might have your Universal Credit stopped or reduced.

You will have to take part in the Work Programme if you belong to any of the following groups of people:

• You are aged 18-24 and have claimed Universal Credit/JSA for nine months
• You are aged 25 or over and have claimed Universal Credit/JSA for 12 months
• You are at a disadvantage in finding work for example if you have a disability. In some cases it is still a choice whether you take part in the scheme depending upon your circumstances
• If you claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (previously incapacity benefit)
• You are claiming income-related Universal Credit, are in the work-related activity group and are expected to be fit for work within twelve months

Stopping or Reducing your Universal Credit

When your Universal Credit is stopped or reduced it is called a 'sanction' and normally last for 4, 13, or 26 weeks, or 3 years, depending on what happened.

• Lower level or Intermediate sanctions last 4 or 13 weeks if you don't attend an interview, don't provide information that you asked to, don't carry out activities to seek employment that you agreed with your personal advisor, drop out of any of the work schemes or fail to take part in a work for your benefit scheme such as the Work Programme
• Intermediate level sanctions will usually be for you for not being available for work or not actively seeking work
• Higher level sanctions last 13 or 26 weeks or up to 3 years depending on what has happened for example, leaving your job voluntarily, refusing to apply for a job that Jobcentre Plus have pointed out to you, failing to take part in the Mandatory Work Activity scheme

If you are 16 or 17, there are special rules about when Jobcentre Plus can sanction you.

If your Universal Credit is stopped because of a sanction, you may be able to apply for a Discretionary Assistance payment to help you. This was previously known as a hardship loan.

Challenging a sanction

If you think the decision is unfair and you had a good reason for what happened you can challenge Jobcentre Plus. For example losing your place on a work scheme because of absence or having to apply for work that was too far away for you to travel to.

Whatever the sanction or circumstance, if you want to appeal against your Universal Credit being sanctioned speak to someone at the Citizens Advice Bureau first. They can advise you on the best course of action.