Robert Jenrick went on to say that long-term benefits claimants will be made to clean up their local high street and do charity work or face having their benefits taken away.
He said as part of the party’s “welfare to work” policy, long-term claimants, who are fit to work, will be forced to do 20-hours of work a week in the community.
The scheme would be run by their local councils and those who do not put work placements in will have their funding cut, he said.
Speaking at the event in central London, the former Conservative cabinet minister said:
double quotation markThey’ll work to clean up high streets and parks, to beautify neglected places, to carry out minor repairs, to staff libraries and community centres to perform many other tasks from the list that we’ve published today.
We’ll also embrace local charities and community groups and ask them to help us and take part. If claimants refuse to participate or fail to show up, they’ll face penalties.
Let me speak very plainly. If people who are capable of work refuse, then they’ll get nothing. That’s fair.