Scope has decided to stop providing mandatory work experience placements in its shops to people on benefits.
In light of the government’s new policy, introduced on 3 December, to expand the mandatory work placement scheme to certain sick and disabled people as well as those on unemployment benefits, Scope is to cease all involvement in the scheme.
Scope has joined a long line of charities withdrawing from the scheme – Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and Age UK have also renounced their involvement in recent weeks in protest at the new policy.
Scope had already reviewed its participation once, earlier this year, when criticism of the scheme first flared in the media. But it decided to continue offering placements after feedback from the people taking part was “overwhelmingly positive”.
However, the inclusion in the scheme of Employment and Support Allowance claimants – who often need specialist support to return to work - forced the charity to carry out another review. Scope already had concerns about the test that disabled people go through to establish how fit-for-work they are, and so this latest move prompted the charity to withdraw entirely from the scheme.
Chief executive Richard Hawkes said: "People tell us they really value the chance to do work experience in our shops. It's a chance to learn retail and customer service skills, build confidence and get used to being in a working environment.
"We have always been very conscious of concerns about mandatory work experience. We only continued with it because we found that the people on placements in our charity shops had really positive experiences.”
But the new government policy does not feel like it has been designed around what disabled people need to find work, Hawkes said.
“We have therefore taken the decision to withdraw from these placements entirely.
"However, like many other charities who had previously withdrawn from these placements, we still want to give as many people as possible the chance to do work experience in our shops and we’re currently exploring new ways we can do this, outside from any benefit sanction regimes."
