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Work Programme Contents At a Glance – Work Programme Introduction Change of circumstances Mandatory referrals Optional referrals / mandatory participation Voluntary referrals / voluntary participation Claimant working for 26 weeks or more and treated as an early completer Work Programme completers Light Touch regime At a Glance – Work Programme The Work Programme gives up to two years of extra support to claimants who need more help in finding and staying in work. The Work Programme provider decides how best to support claimants referred to them, through a ‘black box' approach. The last date for referrals to the Work Programme was 31st March 2017. All claimants referred on or before this date will remain on the Work Programme for up to 104 weeks even if they move into work, unless they complete the Work Programme early. Claimants were referred to the Work Programme at different points in their Universal Credit claim. A referral could either be mandatory or voluntary. Some voluntary referrals resulted in the claimant having to participate on a mandatory basis. A change in a claimant’s circumstances can result in changes to the nature of participation on the Work Programme and to their agreed commitments. Additional support is provided to claimants in the Intensive Work Search regime when they complete the Work Programme. Introduction The Work Programme provides up to two years of extra support to claimants who need more help in finding and staying in work. The Work Programme providers decide how best to support claimants referred to them, through a ‘black box' approach. The claimant’s Commitment provided the foundation for referral to the Work Programme and claimants were issued with a new Commitment as part of the referral process. See Claimant Commitment. Participation in the Work Programme may come to an end earlier than the two years if any of the following apply: the provider has claimed all the outcome payments for the claimant the claimant moves on to Work Choice or Work First Scotland the claimant stays in work (earning over the earnings threshold) for 26 weeks or more - see Claimant working for 26 weeks or more and treated as an early completer the claimant dies In all other circumstances, claimants participating in the Work Programme on a mandatory basis should be referred back to their provider to complete the two years. Claimants on the Work Programme still need to undertake regular work search reviews. Compliance must be checked with requirements set out in the claimant’s Commitment, including work search and availability requirements. Change of circumstances When a claimant reports a change of circumstances that affects their participation on the Work Programme, the Work Programme provider needs to be made aware of: the change what this means for any requirements placed on the claimant A change of circumstances can result in a claimant moving regimes. This could be discovered as part of reviewing the claimant’s Commitment. Where a claimant returns to benefit and is already attached to the Work Programme, the provider should be notified of the change of circumstances. The requirements imposed on the claimant and their participation on the Work Programme may need to change, for example when a claimant moves from mandatory participation to voluntary, or from voluntary participation to mandatory. If the change of circumstances means that the claimant moves to the Working Enough, No Work Related Requirements and Work Focused Interview regimes, participation in the Work Programme becomes voluntary. Claimants should be made aware of this and advised that they can continue to participate on a voluntary basis. If the claimant continues to participate on a voluntary basis, this should be clearly set out and accepted in their revised Commitment. See Claimant’s Commitment hub. The tables below show conditionality for claimants at the point they were referred to the Work Programme. A change in their circumstances may change the conditionality. Mandatory referrals Labour Referral type Referral to Work Market Programme point regime Intensive Aged 18-24 9 months from the date Work the claimant is placed in Search the Intensive Work regime Search Regime Aged 25 and over 12 months from the date the claimant is placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Aged 18 and not in employment, 3 months from the date education or training for 6 months or the claimant is placed in had previously claimed hardship the Intensive Work payment when 16 or 17 Search Regime Have claimed Universal Credit (in a 3 months from the date conditionality and contract type the claimant is placed in group which would require a referral the Intensive Work to the Work Programme) and / or Search Regime JSA for 22 out of the previous 24 months Ex Incapacity Benefit (IB) claimants 3 months from the date who have been found fit for work the claimant is placed in and subsequently made a claim to the Intensive Work Universal Credit Search Regime Prison leavers from the day they are Day 1 if benefit claim released or the day they make their begins within 13 weeks claim to Universal Credit if it is of leaving prison and is within 13 weeks of their release placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Work Universal Credit claimants with a 3, From the Work Preparation 6 or 12 month re-referral period Capability Assessment regime following a Work Capability outcome Assessment Universal Credit claimants (ex- From the Work Incapacity Benefit claimants) with a Capability Assessment 3, 6 or 12 month re-referral period outcome following a Work Capability Assessment. Some claimants in the Intensive Work Search Regime also had voluntary early access to the Work Programme. If they agree to be referred, their participation on the Work Programme is mandatory. See ‘Optional referrals / mandatory participation’ below. Optional referrals / mandatory participation When claimants opted to enter the Work Programme early, participation was mandatory. Labour Market Claimant types Referral to Work Regime Labour Market ConditionalityProgramme / regime point Intensive Care leaver aged 18 - 21 From day 1 or thereafter from Work the date the claimant is Search placed in the Intensive Work regime Search Regime Ex-offenders (if they claim after 3 months from the date the 13 weeks from release) and claimant is placed in the offenders serving a community Intensive Work Search sentence Regime Disabled person (Equality Act 3 months from the date the definition) claimant is placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Person with mild to moderate 3 months from the date the mental health issues claimant is placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Carer 3 months from the date the claimant is placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Ex-carer 3 months from the date the claimant is placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Homeless person 3 months from the date the claimant is placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Former member of HM armed 3 months from the date the forces personnel claimant is placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Partner of a current or former 3 months from the date the member of HM armed forces claimant is placed in the personnel Intensive Work Search Regime An HM armed forces reservist 3 months from the date the participant claimant is placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Person with either current or 3 months from the date the previous substance (drug / claimant is placed in the alcohol) dependency problems Intensive Work Search that present a significant barrier Regime to employment Claimants affected by the Benefit 3 months from the date the Cap claimant is placed in the Intensive Work Search Regime Work Lone parents and lead carers From Work Capability Preparation with a child aged 3 or 4, limited Assessment outcome / when regime capability for work due to a child turns 3 medical condition with 3 to 6 month re-referral period following a Work Capability Assessment Ex-incapacity Benefit, lone From the Work Capability parents and lead carers with a Assessment outcome / when child aged 3 or 4, limited child turns 3 capability for work due to a medical condition with 3 to 6 month re-referral period following a Work Capability Assessment lone parents and lead carers with From the Work Capability a child aged 3 or 4, limited Assessment outcome / when capability for work due to a child turns 3 medical condition with 12 month re-referral period following a Work Capability Assessment Limited capability for work due to From the Work Capability a medical condition with an 18 or Assessment outcome / when 24 month re-referral period child turns 3 following a Work Capability Assessment Voluntary referrals / voluntary participation Participation remains on an entirely voluntary basis. A provider may not mandate voluntary participants to undertake activity. Labour Claimant types Referral to Work Market Programme point regime No Work Lone parents and lead carers - Optional from Work Related youngest child under the age of Capability Requirements 1, or Assessment outcome (NWRR) or if full-time carer regime full-time carer (who meets the from the Universal carers test, providing care for Credit entitlement over 35 hours per week), and given a 3 and 6 month re- referral period following a Work Capability Assessment Work Lone parents or lead carer, Optional from Work Focused with a youngest child over 1 Capability Interview but under 3 years old who has Assessment outcome regime been given a 3 or 6 month re- referral period following a Work Capability Assessment NWRR Lone

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