Politics · 17 August 2026
Reform says long-term benefit claimants must work or lose payments
©House of Commons / photography by Roger Harris via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Reform UK's Robert Jenrick announced that people on long-term benefits who are fit to work would need to do 20 hours of community work each week. The "welfare to work" policy would involve tasks like cleaning high streets and staffing community centres, managed by local councils. Claimants who decline to take part or do not attend will face penalties, including having their benefits cut.
Reported by Guardian · How we write briefs