DWP Universal Credit job scheme includes up to £400 driving lesson discounts

A job scheme aimed at helping those on benefits back into work is providing a range of support including discounts on driving lessons worth up to £400 in savings. Care provider is partnering with the Government's Restart and its Work and Health Programme, to provide jobs for those who have been out of work, equipping them with the latest digital and tech skills.

Cera is recruiting frontline workers deliver at-home care, using the latest AI technology to monitor clients' conditions and help prevent falls and hospitalisations. The group wants to recruit 10 percent of its new employees over the coming months from those who were previously economically inactive, such as those who have had long-term sickness or caring responsibilities that have kept them out of work.

Perks for new employees include a mobility scheme including discounted driving lessons, which could save up to £400 for a new worker learning to drive. Dr Ben Maruthappu, founder and CEO of Cera, said: "We’re already getting people back into the workforce. 25 percent of new Cera recruits were previously unemployed, and more than 5% live with a disability (twice the industry average)."

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The Restart Scheme helps Universal Credit claimants on the Intensive Work Search regime to find work, with the 12-month support available for those who have been on the benefit for nine months or more. The Work and Health Programme is a wider programme to help people find work in England and Wales, you do not have to be on benefits to apply. The programme helps put people in touch with employers and to match their skills with a suitable role.

One success story is Mark, a double amputee out of work for 20 years who now hugely enjoys his job as a Cera carer. He said: "The look you get, a great big, beaming smile. It's so rewarding just to see the gratitude that they have because you've done something for them.

"I used to work in retail, and it's so much more rewarding than putting a case of beans on the shelf. Just to see the job on their faces is unbelievable." He plans to develop his career at Cera by gaining new skills and qualifications.

Another overlooked group who often fall out of work is women going through menopause, with 60,000 women thought to be out of work at any time due to this factor. Cera has menopause experts to help workers going through this stage of life, with flexibility and peer support to help employees.

More than 84 percent of Cera employees are women and 50 percent of the management team are women. You can view the latest jobs with Cera .