More than 8,000 applications by firms to the new Covid youth jobs scheme are "verging on fraudulent", a Cabinet minister has revealed.
Therese Coffey told MPs one in seven of the 60,000 applications to the Kickstart scheme since August have come under suspicion.
The scheme will offer six-month work placements to people aged 16 to 24 who are on Universal Credit. But it could be a big earner for firms - because they get a £1,000 fee and won’t have to top up any of the youngster’s wages.
When the scheme launched, firms were warned they must show the jobs are "new", do "not replace existing jobs", and are "above and beyond any jobs they were expecting to create." But the Work and Pensions Secretary told MPs: "It’s important we take our time