The government says Universal Jobmatch will make it easier for people to look for work. People are not unemployed because they don’t look for work, but simply because there are no jobs. The real purpose of the website is to make it increasingly difficult to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance and other related benefits.
Universal Jobmatch allows Jobcentre staff to monitor your job applications, searches and other activity. It doesn’t matter if there are jobs on the website which are in your local area and relevant to your skills. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for work elsewhere. Not making enough applications on this website can, and eventually will, be used as an excuse to sanction you and remove your benefits. It is notable that the severity of the sanctions available for use against claimants were increased the month before Universal Jobmatch was launched.
