Covid-19's impact on Universal Credit

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of people in the Rochdale borough claiming Universal Credit has increased by more than a third, latest figures show.

Between March and April 2020, the number of local residents claiming Universal Credit increased by 36.5%, with 5,630 new claimants following government advice to apply for the benefit before a number of rescue measures were introduced.

Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP said: “Clearly these figures are behind on our current struggle but the impact of this global health emergency is now starting to show – and we’re doing everything we can to protect jobs and livelihoods.  

“What these statistics do highlight is that heading into the pandemic, we had built strong foundations in our economy, which will be crucial as we gradually move forward as the lockdown eases and look to bounce back.”

Although Jobcentres are currently closed, staff continue to support claimants. Recently, the service introduced ‘Customer Support Calls’ from work coaches in the Jobcentres to claimants, offering support, encouraging self-service and signposting claimants to local vacancies and opportunities.

Jobs in the critical industries even while ‘stay home’ restrictions are in place

Local Jobcentres are currently managing a big NHS recruitment training programme to support the NHS in filing adult social care roles, catering and housekeeping roles within care homes. The training course has been shortened to 4 weeks online training, and then candidates attend a work placement and hopefully then progress into work with that employer.

Current Greater Manchester areas for vacancies are: Sale, Audenshaw, Ashton, Prestwich, Timperley, Stockport, Salford, Newton Heath, Ancoats, and this is an ongoing rolling programme.

Jobcentres are also working with local government, NHS, recruitment agencies, food distributors and supermarkets all working together to fill vacancies for key workers. The website www.feedthenation.co.uk coordinates a lot of the supermarket recruitment and is still ongoing.

Greater Jobs is promoting care home recruitment from care assistants to cooks across all North West local authorities:

• www.greater.jobs/content/10231/be-a-care-hero

The Growth Company has launched the  ‘Employ GM’ website as a GM partnership with GMCA, Jobcentre Plus, Aspire in Partnership and National Careers service to provide support to businesses and individuals:

• www.employgm.org

The Department for Work and Pensions has also launched a new jobs portal, signposting people to roles in critical sectors helping the country keep running:

• jobhelp.dwp.gov.uk