Nearly 2m on universal credit getting no support to find work

Almost 2m universal credit claimants are currently not getting any help to find work, new figures have revealed.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had expected the number to go up, as people are moving from other benefits on to universal credit.

However, it said the scale of the increase was higher than expected.

The government believes that this is partly a result of the “broken” work capability assessment (WCA) system, which is set to be scrapped in 2028.

WCA system ‘dysfunctional’

Under the current system, a person who has a WCA will be placed in one of two categories - “fit for work” or “not fit for work”.

People classed as not fit for work are told they have limited capability for work related activity (LCWRA), which means they don’t get any employment support or any further engagement from the system.

Since 2020, more than two-thirds of people on universal credit who’ve been through a WCA were considered LCWRA.

The DWP believes this shows how the “dysfunctional” system pushes people to “prove their inability to work for a more generous payout”.

“The current system gives an incentive for people to say they can’t work - and get locked out of help and support - simply to get by financially,” the DWP said.

As a result, the government wants to “either reform or replace” the assessment process, so it “no longer drives people who want to work to a life on benefits”.

Government ‘determined to fix broken benefits system’

“There are at least 200,000 people who want to work and are crying out for the right support and a fair chance,” said work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall.

“This government is determined to fix the broken benefits system we inherited so it genuinely supports people, unlocks work, boosts living standards while putting the welfare bill on a more sustainable footing.”

This forms part of a wider plan to get more people into work and tackle health-related inactivity, which includes: 

• investing £26bn in the NHS
• hiring an extra 8,500 mental health workers
• redeploying 1,000 work coaches to offer support to 65,000 sick and disabled people
• empowering local mayors