Universal credit changes that come into effect next month will see thousands of claimants put under pressure to find a job or boost their existing incomes. For people receiving universal credit there is what's called an administration earnings threshold (AET). Claimants with no earnings or with earnings below that threshold are placed in the intensive work search regime.
Such claimants, including those who have reported a health condition that does not affect their ability to work, are normally required to attend mandatory face-to-face work search reviews. The Liverpool Echo reported that when the AET rises in September an estimated 114,000 will be plunged into the criteria for the intensive work search regime meaning they will have to attend weekly or fortnightly appointments at the Jobcentre.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that from September the AET will be raised from £355 to £494 a month for a single claimant or from £567 to £782 a month for a couple. UK Government work and pensions secretary Thérèse Coffey said the new approach will "help claimants get quickly back into the world of work while helping ensure employers get the people they and the economy needs".
Even if you are in employment the cost of living crisis means you could still be struggling. You can see all of the support available for people and when it will be released here.
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