Work trials and work experience are to be made mandatory for the long-term unemployed as part of a major expansion of employment support and welfare reform to get people back to work, the secretary of state for work and pensions Yvette Cooper has announced.

The expansion of welfare reform and employment support include:

• Jobseekers out of work for a year will get tailored help to get jobs from specialist organisations through the Flexible New Deal. Firms will be paid on the number of people they get into sustainable work.
• Where jobseekers have been out of work for more than six months but have spurned work trials, support or training that could enable them to find work, advisors can then require them to take up a work trial or work experience placement as a condition of continuing to receive benefit.

The Flexible New Deal also includes at least four weeks mandatory activity such as work experience or training.

Cooper says: “A lot of people are still having a tough time finding work and we’re investing £5bn to give them more help. We’re working with businesses, local councils and voluntary sector groups as part of a major change in the way the welfare state delivers more personalised support to help people into work. But in return everyone has to do their bit to find work or take up the new help that’s on offer. Otherwise it’s not fair on everyone else who’s trying desperately hard to find a job and support their families.”