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THREAT OF UNION ACTION - PCS (Public & Commercial Services Union) has condemned the decision to fully reopen jobcentres today warning that it will increase the likelihood of avoidable Covid-19 infections.

Pre-lockdown opening hours for jobcentres will resume allowing a huge increase in face-to-face appointments for people to claim Universal Credit and other benefits.  

However, the union has said that the move unnecessarily risks further outbreaks of Covid 19 and pointed out that DWP staff were delivering services to claimants successfully, working from home.  

PCS are clear that the vast bulk of the interviews now expected to be done face to face can still be carried out remotely, and fear the real driver for targeting 18-24 year old UC claimants and customers in receipt of JSA back in to jobcentres, is less about providing much needed support to customers and more about reinstating the previous labour market and conditionality regime which saw thousands sanctioned, having their benefits removed.

The government’s instruction for civil servants to work from home if they can, is also still in place.  

PCS said DWP management had ignored their concerns over potential Covid outbreaks, and the union added that its members would now consider all options, including taking strike action.  

General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: “This reckless move by Ministers is wholly unnecessary and risks putting both claimants and job centre staff in harm's way.  

“DWP staff have been doing an incredible job delivering key services such as Universal Credit and helping those most in need, access the assistance they require, throughout the pandemic.  

“It is counterproductive and arrogant for ministers to risk staff and the wider public’s health by resuming normal jobcentre opening hours before the vaccine is fully rolled out and when these services are being successfully delivered from home.  

“The anger of our members is palpable and we are not ruling out strike action, until a just settlement is found.”  

ABC Comment: Many people have gone back to work. The risk to people working in supermarkets is very small providing proper precautions are taken. This seems a selfish argument. Jobseekers need support and to be able to talk to staff face to face. Motre time at home on the sofa might appeal to Jobcentre staff but they have had a long time off work and their appearance in the JCP offices will welcomed by many. 

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OUR CONDOLENCES - Prince Philip Has Died Aged 99. He had a long and satisfying life and was unswerving in his loyalty to the Queen. He could be cantankerous and impatient and he frequently said what he thought regardless of the consequences. His bone dry sense of humour and sharp wit was not always appreciated by everyone.

He was not above boxing the ears of the palace staff it was rumoured, waiters at the table could get clumped it was alleged by one palace staff member back in the '90's. The palace these days has had to fall in line with modern employment practices like any other organisation.

Prince Phillip was undoubtedly seen as snobby by many people and maybe someone who went out of fashion back in the 1950s.

We feel sorry for Her Majesty the Queen who has had to face the Megan and Harry media storm and will now have to face trials like these without her partner's support.

Will the Queen battle on to the bitter end, or is now the time to gracefully retire and hand over the reins to Prince William?

Prince Charles does not have public support since his miss-treatment of Princess Diana and he too looks like someone from a bygone era.

All land acquired was stolen largely from someone else through the use of violent force. That's how you get your own country. The worship of royalty who get their jobs by coming out of the right womb or marry into it is a bit strange to start with.

The Royals keep us entertained and take peoples minds off things that really matter. Six million on Universal Credit and everyone is talking about Megan Markle and Piers Morgan. 

It is always sad when someone dies. Our condolences to the Queen and all the family.

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RECRUITMENT - Hiring veterans is good for business. Military personnel are highly trained, disciplined and make excellent instructors. What they frequently lack - as you would expect, is the experience of working in a civilian environment.  

Track record in other words.

Brandon Martinez is a U.S. Veteran and the Vice President of PeopleTec. PeopleTec and similar employers are doing great things to hire, retain, and support US veterans.

Unemployment is generally higher for those who have served in the military who need help to get a foot on the ladder in the civilian world. 

This is the case in the UK as well as the US. 

To all US Companies reading our articles. 

The deadline to apply for the 2021 HIRE Vets Medallion Award is April 30, 2021. This is an opportunity for you to join companies like PeopleTec in highlighting your support of America’s veterans.

 Your commitment to the nation’s veterans shouldn’t go unnoticed say the government.   

Visit HIREVets.gov to apply for the 2021 HIRE Vets Medallion Award today.

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DWP TRAINING HELP - Millions of jobseekers will be able to access longer work-related training while in receipt of benefits to boost their chances of finding employment.

Later this month, DWP Train and Progress (TaP), a new DWP initiative aimed at increasing access to training opportunities for claimants, will see an extension to the length of time people can receive Universal Credit while undertaking work-focused study.

Initially available for 6 months, the amount of time Universal Credit claimants can take part in full-time training will extend to up to 12 weeks throughout Great Britain - up from the current 8 weeks.

The change will ensure those receiving UC and in the intensive work search group can take advantage of sector-specific training from digital skills to social care and engineering while receiving the financial support they need.

It includes access to the level 3 adult offer, with the Department for Work and Pensions today announcing it will go even further and increase this to 16 weeks for those enrolled on level 3 Skills Bootcamps.

Image: Minister for Employment, Mims Davies MP:

A lack of relevant skills can hold people back from landing a job, so we’re helping people to progress by opening up a wider choice of training opportunities and qualifications for those on Universal Credit to be part of.

This new flexibility will really help jobseekers across the country to boost their chances of finding fresh roles, particularly in growing sectors, and builds on the UK Government’s Plan for Jobs which is already helping people gain the skills needed to thrive in new employment.

Image: Tony Wilson, Director of the Institute for Employment Studies.

Director of the Institute for Employment Studies, Tony Wilson, said:

“This is welcome news from the government. Even while employment has fallen overall during this crisis, our research has shown that it has continued to rise in areas like professional services, technology and healthcare.

We need to be doing a lot more to help those out of work to get the skills that they need to prepare for and take up these new jobs, and today’s announcement will play an important part in that - by ensuring that more of those on Universal Credit can continue to get financial support while they train.

The increased flexibility is aimed at better aligning government support, providing a vital link between jobcentres and careers services, with access to the provision agreed between jobseekers and their Work Coach.

The move comes as the UK government launches almost 400 additional free qualifications as part of the UK government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, and follows the announcement earlier this week of a further 13,500 Work Coaches in Jobcentres across the country.

To find out more information talk to your Work Coach say the DWP.

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SPECIAL PAYMENT - If you are part of a working household that receives tax credits, you may be eligible for a new one-off payment of £500. The new payment is being introduced to provide extra support when the temporary increase in Working Tax Credit ends as planned on 5 April 2021.

You may get a one-off, tax-free payment of £500 if, on 2 March 2021, you were getting either:

Working Tax Credit

• Child Tax Credit and were eligible for Working Tax Credit but you did not get a payment because your income is too high to get Working Tax Credit payments
• You do not need to contact HMRC or apply for the payment. HMRC will contact you by text message or letter in April to confirm you are eligible.

If you are eligible, you should get your payment direct to your bank account by 23 April 2021. You will not see the payment on the online tax credit service.

The payment is non-taxable and will not affect your benefits. You do not need to declare it as income for Self Assessment tax returns or for tax credit claims and renewals.

It says there is no need to apply for the new payment as those who are entitled will automatically be contacted via text message or letter.

Anyone who is eligible should receive their payment by April 23.

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US EMPLOYMENT - Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 916,000 in March, and the unemployment rate edged down to 6.0 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported.

These improvements in the labor market reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Job growth was widespread in March, led by gains in leisure and hospitality, public and private education, and construction.

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UNEMPLOYMENT -  is 1,703,000 and has fallen by 41,000 from last month’s published figure (quarterly headline has risen by 11,000) and the unemployment rate 5.0%, decreased by 0.1 percentage points on last month and has risen by 0.1 percentage points on last quarter.

The ONS figure for claimant unemployed is 2,682,800, up by 86,600 on last month, and the claimant rate is 7.5%.

The number of workless young people (not in employment, full-time education or training) is 1,004,000, increased by 5,000 on the quarter, representing 14.7% of the youth population (no change).

Youth unemployment (including students) is 582,000, is down by 15,000 on the quarter.

Vacancies in December to February 2021 fell 3,000 (in the ONS official series) to 601,000 after recovering strongly from the low point of 343,000 in April to June 2020.

There are now 2.8 unemployed people per vacancy.

The employment rate is 75.0% (no change on last month’s published figure and reduced by 0.3 percentage points in the preferred quarterly measure).

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DEBT - One in four UK adults said the pandemic pushed them into debt. 

Almost £10 billion of personal debt directly caused by furlough reducing incomes. 

Furloughed employees saw debts rise by £1,050 on average as a result of loss of salary.

More than a third (36%) of the debt accrued last year in London has been linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

25-34s are the age group that took on the most debt into 2021. 

Coronavirus Debt Index uncovers the impact of coronavirus on personal finances across the UK

 More than half of UK adults started 2021 in debt, and one in four claim that debt was a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research.

As Debt Awareness week 2021 (22nd-28th March) starts, research by personal finance experts at money.co.uk has revealed that 51% of UK adults got into debt in 2020 with half of that new debt directly caused by the pandemic. The average amount of debt owed in the UK at the beginning of the year was £9,246 a person. 

Crucially, more than one in 10 people said their new debt was caused by reduced income resulting from being put on furlough, according to the money.co.uk Coronavirus Debt Index.

And that has meant one in every five UK adults have had to take out additional debt management products to pay off the debt caused by the pandemic.

James Andrews, personal finance expert at money.co.uk, said: “There is still a massive stigma when it comes to debt in the UK, with many being too ashamed to ask for help. But those struggling should realise they are not alone - this is a problem that affects huge numbers of people, with our research revealing that just 22% of adults started 2021 debt-free.

“2020 was a year like no other, and it had a huge effect on the finances of everyday people, including debt and how they’ve managed it. We are going to continue to see the ramifications of such a turbulent year long after lockdown ends and businesses reopen, but it’s never too soon to start looking for help.” 

The research highlighted that more than 11% of new debt that came out of 2020 was down to workers being furloughed and having reduced incomes. With 9.4m UK jobs were furloughed at some point in 2020¹, the cost of debt due to furlough is roughly £1,050 per furloughed employee - that’s £9.87bn of furlough debt incurred in the UK during 2020.

The story for workers who were furloughed was most bleak in the East of England, where 16.13% of all new debt is down to people having a reduced salary because of furlough, according to the data.

Elsewhere across the UK, the picture is similar. In Greater London 16.11% of all debt brought into 2021 can be attributed to furlough. In the North West 12.7% of debt can be attributed to workers being furloughed, and in South East 11.98% of all debt accrued is down to loss of salary for those who have been furloughed.

UK residents aged 25-34 brought the most debt into 2021 – an average of £12,819 each. And 36% of people age 16-24 have said they brought debt into 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic in general has wreaked havoc with the nation’s personal finances. More than a third (36%) of the debt accrued in 2021 in London has been blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of those surveyed, one in five Brits planned on paying off their debt by consolidating the different debts they owe, but 44% of people say they don’t move debts to take advantage of better interest rates, meaning they could be missing out on opportunities to save money and pay off their debt sooner.

Those worried about debt can receive free and impartial advice from StepChange, the UK’s leading debt charity, who can offer the support needed to help get finances back on track.

In its recent ‘Coronavirus and personal debt: a financial recovery strategy for households’ report, the charity highlights that: “Compared to the Great Recession, households with low- to middle-incomes entered the present crisis more likely to be facing problem debt and struggling to pay for essentials.” 

StepChange has also created a 3 step plan, specifically designed to help give people a clear picture of how to manage their debt: https://www.stepchange.org/how-we-help.aspx 

Sue Anderson, head of media at stepchange.org said : “We know that millions of people have seen a negative impact on their finances from Covid, and that the number of people in problem debt has risen dramatically over the pandemic period. If that’s happened to you, you’re not alone and help is available. 

“Before you turn to additional borrowing as an attempt to make ends meet, check out the free advice available from StepChange Debt Charity that could help you with a plan to get out of debt, and reduce the risk of a prolonged debt spiral. On the cusp of the charity’s Debt Awareness Week, it’s the perfect time to take the first step.”

For more tips and advice, visit the money.co.uk Covid Debt Index.

¹ Based on Statista research (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1116638/uk-number-of-people-on-furlough )

JOBCENTRE PLUS - While jobcentres have remained open and fully operational throughout the pandemic for those who really need it, and Work Coaches have continued to support all their customers virtually – opening hours were temporarily shortened to 10am to 2pm at the start of this national lockdown in line with the toughened restrictions.

Throughout the pandemic, the Department for Work and Pensions has played a crucial role in supporting people across the UK, processing millions of claims to Universal Credit and delivering the Government’s Plan for Jobs, including the £2 billion Kickstart programme for 6-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment.

Further information

• Covid secure jobcentres have remained open throughout the pandemic, supporting the most vulnerable in society.
• Increasing access to jobcentres will allow more people to get the support they need to get back into work.

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EASTER PAYMENTS - On Friday 2 April and Monday 5 April Jobcentre Plus offices and phone lines will be closed.

To make sure people receive their payments on a day when Jobcentre Plus offices are open, arrangements have been made to make some payments early:

If the expected payment date is not shown, customers will get their money on their usual payment date.

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