Abode Recruitment

Legislation to force unemployed people back into work has been unveiled by the government.

The Welfare Reform Bill gives legal backing to policies outlined in a Department for Work and Pensions white paper published in December.

The powers are intended to offer increased support to help people on benefits back into work, but there will also be sanctions for those who do not cooperate.

Those targeted are likely to include social housing tenants. Professor John Hills’ 2007 review of social housing found unemployment among working age social tenants was twice the national average.

Work and pensions secretary James Purnell said the objectives are ‘to get people back into work as quickly as possible, [and] make sure that short-term unemployment does not become long-term unemployment’.

Programmes for disabled people, lone parents, and those struggling with childcare will become more personalised under the plans, and the government is promising more support. Workless parents, drug users and the long-term unemployed will also be targeted.

Mr Purnell said: ‘The system would help find suitable employment [for people on benefits] in return we expect people to take up this help, and work with us to help themselves.’

Measures will ensure that the long-term unemployed ‘work for their benefits’. There will be a new system to give disabled people more say in how resources can be used to help them into work.

The news comes on the back of a £500 million package of support for people who have been out of work for more than six months, including £2,500 payments for employers per unemployed individual they recruit.