More help is being announced for 18 to 24-year-olds. Employment Minister Chris Grayling is encouraging small firms to take part in the Government’s Work Programme and from April 2, they will be able to claim a ‘wage incentive’ of up to £2,250 when they take on an 18 to 24-year-old through the scheme.
The employees must be long-term unemployed, – jobless for at least nine months. However, the Minister has said that in some cases the nine-month rule may be relaxed to three months to encourage more business owners to take on ‘Neets’.
Business owners can claim the money after the employee has been in place for six months. However, the Department for Work and Pensions says it will allow business owners to bill them after eight weeks and receive a percentage of the payment to help cashflow. The scheme will run until 2014 and the funding will cover 170,000 placements and is open to all businesses.
The process
The application form is only two pages and as well as getting young people into work, the scheme is designed to help small businesses and is part of a package of measures under the Youth Contract.
I would like to know more about this scheme who should I contact.
The Best source is DWP; if you go to their website and navigate around, you will see press notices and announcements.