Alison Garnham, chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), dismissed the idea, which is set to be included in the forthcoming welfare reform white paper, as "a headline-grabbing scheme".
She said instead the government should be focusing on schemes that ensure "more people in employment earn a decent wage for their family". This should include financial support to meet childcare costs.
She added: "For those with no experience of regular employment and the related routine and life structure, work placements can have a great benefit. But they should be paid.
"Doing a job should always mean getting paid and it is a dangerous step to force people into a scheme that might strengthen negative assumptions that work does not pay."
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