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The Day One Support for Young People Trailblazer was a compulsory workfare scheme for young unemployed 18- to 24-year-olds, that was trialled in North and South London Jobcentre Plus districts, between 26 November 2012 and 26 July 2013. The workfare scheme whereby unemployed people must work in return for state unemployment benefits was introduced during a time of particularly high youth unemployed in the United Kingdom. As a mandatory scheme, claimants were sanctioned if they failed to meet the requirements of the scheme. The scheme differed from other workfare schemes which are generally aimed at the long term unemployed as claimants were forced onto the scheme immediately or soon after making a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance if they "had not previously completed six months of paid employment since leaving full time education". Claimants were mandated to complete 30 hours of work for 13 weeks and also had to continue to "sign on" during that period.
The benefit cap is a British Coalition government policy that limits the amount in state benefits that an individual household can claim per year. The benefit cap was introduced in 2013 at £26,000 per year which was the average family income in the UK. For single people with no children it was set at £18,200 per year. The level of the benefit cap was subsequently lowered following an announcement in the July 2015 United Kingdom budget. From Autumn 2016 it was reduced to £20,000, except in London where it was reduced to £23,000.
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References
- ↑ "DWP Central Freedom of Information Team: Ref VTF 2618" (PDF). Whatdotheyknow.com. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- ↑ Shiv Malik (2012-07-29). "Million jobless may face six months' unpaid work or have benefits stopped | Society | guardian.co.uk". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
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