People could be forced to take on jobs that place health at risk as suspension on benefit sanctions set to end

'The assumption that people need to be pushed into job search through the threat of reducing their already low income is ridiculous when what they really need is support,' warns charity

Charities are concerned that people who are shielding or suffer from underlying health conditions will face an “uphill struggle” to find suitable work – and may potentially accept jobs that places their health at risk in order to avoid benefit sanctions (Getty)

People could be forced to take on work that places their health at risk or face losing their benefits as the government's suspension to job-seeking requirements for benefit claimants is set to come to an end within days.

The government announced in March that the requirement for people receiving universal credit to prove that they are looking for work – which would currently apply to more than 2 million people on the benefit – would be paused for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This suspension is set to end next Tuesday, meaning millions of people will need to prove they are actively seeking work or face being sanctioned and losing their financial support.

Charities are concerned that people who are shielding or suffer from underlying health conditions would face an “uphill struggle” to find suitable work – and may potentially accept jobs that place their health at risk in order to avoid benefit sanctions.

There are also mounting concerns that ongoing disruption to schools and childcare options mean people may need to care for their children during the time they could otherwise spend working or applying for jobs, which could result in them being sanctioned.

Stephen Timms, chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, tabled a parliamentary question to Mims Davies, the employment minister, earlier this month, asking what plans were in place to ensure that benefit claimants who were shielding or had caring responsibilities were not sanctioned if they were unable to take up employment.

Responding on Tuesday, Ms Davies said only that arrangements after 30 June would be “communicated in due course”.

Mr Timms told The Independent: “It is puzzling that the department is leaving the announcement so late, with the current arrangements coming to an end in less than a week.

"I hope they will announce without further delay that the current conditionality easements will be extended for another three months.”

Alison Garnham, our chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said next week was "way too soon" to end the suspension of conditionality and sanctions for people claiming universal credit.

"In a few short months, the job market has shrunk dramatically as a result of the pandemic and the challenges facing people trying to get into work this summer will be enormous, increasing when the Job Retention Scheme's furlough payments dry up," she said.

“The assumption that people need to be pushed into job search through the threat of reducing their already low income is ridiculous when what they really need is support."

Brian Dow, deputy chief executive at Rethink Mental Illness, echoed her concerns, saying the prospect of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reintroducing work-related conditionality threatened to place "millions of people in an untenable situation".

He added: "Given the sharp rise in unemployment and substantial fall in job vacancies, reinstating it would only exacerbate the anxiety and stress of those who have been supported by universal credit during the pandemic, including those managing long term health conditions or a severe mental illness."

Nearly 3 million people have made a claim for universal credit since mid-March, with one in five adults in Britain having applied or planned to apply for benefits as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The figure rose to more than three-fifths among those on zero-hours contracts.

Iain Porter, social security policy and partnerships manager at the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “As we enter a deep recession, there are already worrying signs that the number of people in work is falling. Job vacancies are in short supply and when the furlough scheme begins to unwind, many more people will find themselves unemployed through no fault of their own.

“Universal credit rules must continue to reflect the reality of our dysfunctional jobs market. The government should commit to extending the suspension of job-seeking requirements so that people already struggling from the economic fallout of coronavirus are not pulled further into poverty.”

Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said a suspension on job-seeking requirements for people facing particular barriers would be the “right thing to do”, to avoid causing people stress and worry about potential sanctions.

“Many people who’ve had to claim benefits as a result of coronavirus will be hoping to get back to work as soon as possible. But given the economic climate, it could be a long time before job-hunting is business as usual,” she added.

“Some in particular, such as those who’ve been shielding and parents, could face an uphill struggle to find suitable work.”

A DWP spokesperson said: “Our priority throughout this health emergency continues to be to protect the public and staff, while ensuring people get the benefits they are entitled to quickly and safely.”