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<p>The Department has not completed an Impact Assessment of the removal of the Universal
Credit temporary uplift as it was introduced as a temporary measure.</p><p> </p><p>The
Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at
the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19.
Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the
pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total
of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.</p><p> </p><p>There have been significant
positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced.
With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that
our focus is on helping people back into work.</p><p> </p><p>Through our Plan for
Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them
prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens
of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24
at risk of unemployment; Restart, which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support
to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year; and JETS, which provides
light touch employment support for people who are claiming either Universal Credit
or New Style Jobseekers Allowance, for up to 6 months, helping participants effectively
re-engage with the labour market and focus their job search. We have also recruited
an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job.
In total, our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people.</p><p>
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