A new citywide service to help people in Cardiff with employment advice and information has been launched.

The new service is part of the Council's plans to help people affected by Universal Credit, following the roll out of the full service in the city in February.

Under the changes, working age households can no longer make a new claim for benefits including Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance.

The Council has seen a substantial increase in the number of people seeking advice and into work support since February and is keen to help people prepare for and get back into work by delivering additional job clubs and Universal Credit sessions.

Since February, teams have assisted more than 250 customers with their claims and there have been more than 650 visits to job clubs from Universal Credit claimants.  The number of claimants receiving personal budget support has also increased significantly in recent weeks.

The new Employability Service will build on the success of the Council's current Into Work Service to bring even more help to job seekers. The service will bring together various funding streams to develop a joined up approach to services.The services will be available to everyone in the city regardless of where they live in the city and whether they are in or out of work. 

A range of support, which is responsive to a customer's needs, is available including help to look for work or upskill for those already in employment and specialist advice for people who are looking to set up their own business. Funding will be available for training, child care, travelling and other expenses.

The gateway will be accessible via job clubs in over 30 locations across the city, an advice telephone line, website, webchat and e-mail. 

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "We were expecting a considerable increase in demand for our advice and into work services as a result of the introduction of Universal Credit and staff at our hubs have been supporting all those who need assistance.

"Digital support is available for claimants who now have to claim and maintain their account online and we've also installed additional PCs in our libraries and hubs.

"Now, our new employability service will deliver a much easier experience for people looking for work or support to become ready for work, whether they are claiming Universal Credit or not.

"It's been very confusing in the past with some schemes available in parts of the city but not elsewhere leading to people missing out on opportunities because they don't meet the qualifying criteria, such as living in the right area or being a certain age.

"The single gateway into our new service will take away any confusion and ensure people can access the service or project that best meets their needs.Too many people face too many barriers to finding and keeping a job so we are focusing on removing those barriers and helping people into good jobs and good careers."

Effective employer engagement will also be part of the new service to focus on understanding the needs of employers, both locally and nationally, so that people can be prepared for real job opportunities. The employability service team will include a dedicated employer and work placement officer who will work closely with the Council's Economic Development team and be able to identify suitable candidates with the relevant skills and training for job vacancies in the city.

For more information, visit the new service's website at intoworkcardiff.co.uk, call 029 2087 1071 or emailintoworkadviceservice@cardiff.gov.uk

Follow the service on Twitter @intoworkcardiff or Facebook - facebook.com/intoworkcardiff