Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
In the event of a further surge of claimants when the furlough scheme ends, the...
Conclusion
In the event of a further surge of claimants when the furlough scheme ends, the Department would need to continue to process new claims for benefits, as well as providing the employment support schemes it is now delivering.18 During the initial surge in claimants the Department moved around 10,000 extra staff into claim-handling roles, and announced a recruitment drive that has since seen it hire an additional 13,500 work coaches.19 This recruitment drive has brought the number of ‘intensive work search’ claimants—those claimants expected to complete the most work search activity—that each Universal Credit work coach looks after to levels similar to that seen before the pandemic. The average intensive work search caseload was 115 in February 2020, and after rising to 224 in May 2020 and as high as 424 in Surrey and Sussex, it was at 117 in March 2021.20
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 2.2 The department wrote to the committee on 29 September 2021. 2.3 During the pandemic the department saw an unprecedented increase in new claims. The department successfully managed this through the introduction of easements, recruitment and Jobcentre Plus estate expansion. 2.4 Furthermore, the department has designed and invested in a resilient, digital service that incorporates automation to allow for surges in claims. The department has made improvements to its caseload management system, enabling work coaches to filter their caseload and provide targeted support based on health conditions, age and employment status. This allows quick claimant referral to targeted support within the Plan for Jobs programmes, such as Kickstart, Restart, the Youth Offer, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) and Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS). 2.5 Where face-to-face contact was unavailable, the department used alternative channels including telephone appointments, digital interventions and video calls. Work coaches are now conducting more appointments face-to-face in Jobcentres and in new Youth Hubs as capacity in buildings increases. In the event of another increase in claimants, the flexibility the department has built through using telephony and video, expanding its estate and hiring additional work coaches will ensure the department is able to continue to provide support to claimants. As well as encouraging claimants to undertake independent work search, through signposting to services such as JobHelp, the department is currently exploring further ways of using technology to help people switch sectors via a Job Matching pilot. 2.6 The department will continue to monitor the situation closely as furlough has come to an end and the department is satisfied with its level of preparedness.