DWP confirms new rules for parents claiming Universal Credit affecting hundreds of thousands of families

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has introduced new rules for families claiming Universal Credit. Around 700,000 parents will be affected by the new rule shake-up, which aims to get more people into work.

More than 5.8 million people in the UK claim Universal Credit - but only 2.2 million of those are working and the DWP is aiming to increase that number.

According to a DWP newsletter, parents claiming Universal Credit with young children will be told at their next jobcentre appointment that they must now come in to meet with a work coach more often, Birmingham Live reports. Claimants with a one-year-old will have to attend a work-focused meeting every three months instead of every six months, while parents with a two-year-old will have to meet their work coach every month instead of every three months.

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All Universal Credit claimants who have the main caring responsibilities for their children will be affected. This could be a parent, grandparent, kinship carer, adoptive parent, or other guardian. For couples on Universal Credit, individuals will be able to identify which of them is the lead carer.

The DWP says the work coach appointments for parents will look at "exploring steps to improve their skills, identifying support needs, learning about childcare provision, and boosting their confidence." The aim is to encourage claimants to think about a job in the future, consider the steps they can take to improve their prospects, and secure jobs when their child is older, according to the department.

DWP Minister for Employment Guy Opperman said: "Thousands of parents of young children will start to meet