UK's Long-Term Unemployed Face Benefits Crackdown Under Help to Work Scheme

The UK government's controversial Help to Work scheme, designed to help the long-term unemployed back to work, has come into force.

The move means out-of-work benefit recipients may have to complete a community work placement for up to six months in order to build up their CVs and skills.

The policy will also make it a requirement that some people receiving Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) of at least £57.35 ($96.28, €69.65) per week will have to meet a Jobcentre adviser every day.

Those who fail to participate in the scheme will face potential sanctions that could see them lose their benefits for a period of time.

But the initiative has come under fire from the Labour Party.

"Under [the] government nearly one in ten people claiming JSA lack basic literacy skills and many more are unable to do simple maths or send an email," said Stephen Timms MP, Shadow Minister for Employment.

"Yet this government allows jobseekers to spend up to three years claiming benefits before they get literacy and numeracy training.

"A Labour government will introduce a Basic Skills Test to assess all new claimants for JSA within six weeks of claiming benefits."

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) claimed that there are more than 600,000 vacancies in the UK economy at any one time and the Help to Work scheme will aid jobseekers into those roles.

"A key part of our long-term economic plan is to move to full employment, making sure that everyone who can work is in work," said the Prime Minister David Cameron.

"We are seeing record levels of employment in Britain, as more and more people find a job, but we need to look at those who are persistently stuck on benefits.

"This scheme will provide more help than ever before, getting people into work and on the road to a more secure future."