12,000 Universal Credit advisers hired to get people into work during the pandemic are now have to reapply for their own jobs.
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) management has written to thousands of Work Coaches last week offering them an “opportunity to apply for a permanent role”, reports The Mirror.
The number of Work Coaches doubled from 13,500 to 27,000 during the Covid pandemic as Universal Credit claims surged.
But many are on fixed-term contracts, and senior officials admit some face being let go when those deals end in June.
An e-mail seen by the Mirror told staff: “We hope you will decide to continue your career with DWP and apply for this opportunity.”
One work coach told the Mirror: “They have said they will try and keep 'the majority' but nothing more specific than that.”
DWP Permanent Secretary Peter Schofield suggested last year that the total of 27,000 work coaches could fall by thousands, to “well above 20,000".
He said the number would “fall away” because fewer people were in the most intensive work search groups on Universal Credit.
The DWP confirmed 12,000 fixed-term work coaches have been told to reapply if they want permanent jobs.
Final decisions are expected in March.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We recognise the important contribution our staff on fixed-term contracts have made over the pandemic period and expect to be able to offer permanent roles to the majority of those, as we continue to deliver our multi-billion pound Plan for Jobs.”
