Young jobseekers to be mandated to undertake skills courses by Labour

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves is due to deliver a speech this morning in which she will outline the Labour Party’s plans to make young Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) claimants undertake skills training courses, or face losing their benefits, should they become the governing party following the 2015 general election. Reeves is due to say during her speech that: “The shocking levels of English and maths among too many jobseekers are holding them back from getting work. This traps too many jobseekers in a vicious cycle between low-paid work and benefits.”

Pete from PSI: The latest announcement from Reeves is designed to show that the Labour Party would be ‘tough on welfare’ should they regain power in 2015, having been taunted by the Government since 2010 for having thrown money at the issue during their time in office from 1997 to 2010. It also follows plans to introduce a mandatory ‘Jobs Guarantee’ for jobseekers who have been unemployed for over 12 months, under which these claimants would face losing benefits should they not take work offered to them by the scheme, which will pay the minimum wage.