Universal Credit claimants can expect a huge change to their benefits which could actually mean they lose money.
The big shake-up could impact claimants and cost them cash, according to warnings from financial experts. New Universal Credit rules from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) mean unemployed claimants would have to attend an intensive two week programme to try and get them back into work, Birmingham Live reports.
The strict job centre rules would see the requirement to meet work coaches increased to daily over a two-week period, according to a report in The Times.
READ MORE: DWP could owe thousands of benefit claimants around £3,000 each
It means anybody who refuses could be hit by a £334 a month loss, with their entire standard allowance potentially being revoked for up to three months, costing them £1,002.
The programme is already being trialled in four parts of the UK. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: "Evidence shows that the longer a person is out of work the harder it is for them to return, and it is at this 13-week point that a claimant’s likelihood of securing employment begins to decrease."
Those who are exempt from the programme include anybody awaiting work-capability assessments. Other exemptions are made for those required to do less than 35 hours a week of work search activity and those already exempt from searching for jobs.
A DWP spokesperson said: "We are always looking at new and innovative ways to support people with different needs to find and succeed in employment.
"In the first half of 2022 we supported half a million benefit claimants into work and our recent changes to Universal Credit will build on this by providing hundreds of thousands more with intensive support to get better-paid work and boost long-term prospects.”
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