Should working-age people on benefits have to do community work in return?
Claimants on Universal Credit who are able to work must currently look for or prepare for work, and can be sanctioned if they fail to meet those requirements, but they cannot be made to do unpaid community work. A similar compulsory scheme, Community Work Placements of up to 30 hours a week, ran for some Jobseeker's Allowance claimants until referrals ended in 2016. In August 2026 Reform UK proposed 20 hours a week of council-organised community work for work-capable Universal Credit claimants on benefits for over 12 months, which it estimates would cover about 330,000 people.
7 Opinions
Until the rules change, so that you can do voluntary work without having your benefits cut, I don't think it should be compulsory. Not that I feel it should be compulsory, encouraged yes, compulsory no. Theory being if you are busy volunteering, you aren't looking for work. You could be, by talking to people, spreading the fact you are looking for work. Then of course, volunteering helps prevent depression and low motivation, as you are doing something useful.
Nearly 40% of all people on UC are already in employment. Why should they be be underpaid to do a second job when they're clearly already being underpaid at their first? Instead of enforced community service, there should be a focus on wages, job creation, learning, & training. If there's a job that needs done in the community, why not actually hire and pay someone a living wage to do it?
I once applied for Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Some charity work became available, and I was keen to do it. I was gutted to be informed that I couldn't, because it would make me unavailable to work. After six weeks, I just gave up and told them to shove the £65 quid. If they "fix" that by making it semi-compulsory, fair enough. But they could have settled for allowable.
Shall we reopen the Victorian workhouse while we’re at it? In all seriousness, handing councils 330,000 free workers will just kill off the entry-level paid jobs that help people off benefits, surely? Maybe a sensible compromise: if someone has claimed for 18 months with no other barriers, mandate accredited traineeships and vocational courses or face sanctions. We need to stop welfare overreliance, but forcing unpaid community work seems like it would be damaging
If they are healthy enough then yes. Money for nothing corrupts.
You should always expect to have to work for your money, whether wages or benefits
Why not? It gets them out the house and off the Playstation.