TORY ministers are hell-bent on making it harder for people to claim benefits, Civil Service union PCS charged today as it condemned plans to make universal credit claimants attend jobcentres 10 times in just two weeks.

The union said the “gimmicky and insulting” move, included in the so-called “jobcentre innovation pilot” launched today, increases the likelihood of already vulnerable claimants being sanctioned due to missed appointments. 

A trial of incentivisation, with vouchers of up to £250 for the best-performing staff, will also not address the poverty pay of the benefit system’s workforce, it added.