Government announces extra support to help parents on universal credit get back into work

Parents of children aged one and two on universal credit will benefit from more frequent meetings with work coaches to help prepare them for work, the government said today.

The changes, which came into immediate effect, will see parents with one-year-olds meet with their work coach every three months instead of every six months.

While parents with two-year-olds will meet with their work coach every month instead of the current quarterly meeting.

The aim of the work coach meetings is to help parents – specifically the ones who take the lead role in caring for the children in the family – prepare for work.

The work coaches provide practical support from helping to prepare CVs to finding training and work experience to help boost parents' confidence. 

They will also help parents access all the different childcare support available.

If the changes affect you, you’ll be updated at your next scheduled appointment with your work coach.

The changes will not affect your universal credit payments. 

However, if you miss a meeting, you may be sanctioned. This could mean your universal credit payments are reduced or stopped entirely.

Today’s announcement builds on support announced in June to boost childcare payments through universal credit by 47% so that working parents can get upfront childcare costs paid for.

Parents can now receive up to 85% of their childcare costs back before their next month’s bill is due – meaning they should have money to pay one month in advance going forward.