Helping people to find and stay in work
The issue
Long-term unemployment is damaging to individuals and communities, it affects mental and physical health, and holds back economic growth.
We want to help people into work and make sure that work pays. In return, people on out-of-work benefits need to take the opportunities available to them to move off benefits and into work.
Out of work older people can find it more difficult to get a job and they are more likely than younger people to remain unemployed for longer.
Actions
We are making a number of welfare to work reforms which aim to fight poverty, support the most vulnerable and help people break the cycle of benefit dependency.
Introducing measures to give Jobcentre Plus flexibility in helping people back to work
To help people get back into work we have introduced a series of measures to give Jobcentre Plus some choice over what support to offer to claimants in their area based on claimant and local labour market characteristics.
We are working with back to work service providers, local authorities, training providers and employers to find innovative ways to help people back to work.
Managing the Work Programme
We have introduced the Work Programme to replace a range of employment schemes, pilots and projects. It provides personalised support for claimants who need more help to find and stay in work.
We will pay back to work service providers according to the results they achieve. Their contracts will include incentives to support those who need more help to get into work than others, such as the long-term unemployed or disabled people.
Helping young people into work through the Youth Contract
The Wage Incentive is being withdrawn from 6 August 2014. Work experience, sector-based work academies, work trials and Apprenticeships are all still available. Extra funding is being allocated for a range of initiatives that will be available over the next few months to further support young people in finding work. More details to follow.
We introduced a £1 billion Youth Contract in April 2012 to help young unemployed people get a job. The Youth Contract is a range of support to make it easier for businesses to give young unemployed people a job, training or work experience. It will provide nearly half a million new opportunities for 18 to 24 year olds, including apprenticeships and voluntary work experience placements.
Businesses can benefit from supporting the Youth Contract in many ways including financially. We give employers financial help if they take on a young person through Jobcentre Plus or the Work Programme in a job lasting more than 26 weeks. This is known as a wage incentive and is worth up to:
£1,137.50 for part-time work between 16 and 29 hours a week
£2,275 for full-time work of 30 hours or more a week
We have published more information about the Youth Contract and helping young people into work.
Supporting disabled people who need more help to find and keep a job
We introduced ‘Work Choice’ in October 2010, a specialist employment programme for disabled people who need more help to find and keep a job.
We provide money through the ‘Access to Work’ scheme towards the extra costs that will help a disabled person do their job, beyond what it is reasonable for their employer to meet.
Co-ordinating the Health, Work and Wellbeing initiative
We co-ordinate the cross-government Health, Work and Wellbeing initiative that aims to:
improve the general health and wellbeing of the working-age population and reduce the number of days lost to sickness absence
support more people with health conditions to stay in work or enter employment
We are setting up a new Health and Work Service that will help people with a health condition stay in or return to work.
Helping older people who want to find work or stay in work
Working longer can have a positive impact on an individual’s savings for retirement, and also for the economy as a whole. We have introduced a range of measures to support older people in choosing to work longer. These include:
ending the Default Retirement Age so in most cases employers can no longer force employees to retire just because they reach the arbitrary age of 65
helping employers take on or keep on older workers with measures such as flexible working
changing legislation to protect people from age discrimination changing the rules so people can access their pension pots more flexibly and potentially choose to phase their retirement more gradually
On Friday 13 June 2014 the we published Fuller Working Lives: a framework for action. This explains how working longer can benefit individuals, businesses, society and the economy and it sets out a number of new actions we will take to help people have fuller working lives.
We are working with employers and employers’ organisations to:
challenge outdated assumptions about older workers
improve the employment and retention of older workers as part of a mixed age workforce
We have published guidance, employer case studies and research to help support employers manage an ageing workforce.
We have been working with over 80 trade bodies and skills councils in 9 of the largest sectors to:
address specific issues in their sectors
provide guidance to employers on adopting flexible approaches to retirement and the benefits of employing and retaining older workers alongside younger workers
Introducing a new scheme for tax-free childcare for working families
Working families will be able to claim 20% of childcare costs up to £2,000 for each child under 12 under a new tax-free childcare scheme. Disabled children up to the age of 16 will also be eligible, in line with existing childcare rules.
The scheme will be phased in from autumn 2015 and will be open to almost 2 million families. It will be delivered by HMRC.
Supporting people with drug or alcohol dependency
Jobcentre Plus has a range of support for people with drug or alcohol dependency.
A Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant with drug or alcohol dependency can volunteer for the Work Programme after claiming for 13 weeks (instead of the usual 9 or 12 months). This is subject to the normal entry requirements, availability and the agreement of their adviser. If treatment commitments might affect a jobseeker’s availability for work, their adviser can take this into account when agreeing the steps they take to find work.
In England and Scotland, advisers can refer claimants whose dependency is a barrier to work for a voluntary discussion with a treatment provider. In Wales, they can refer claimants to the Peer Mentoring Scheme.
Read more about the government’s policy of reducing drugs misuse and dependence.
Sponsoring the Ethnic Minority Employment Stakeholder Group
We sponsor the Ethnic Minority Employment Stakeholder Group which advises the government on helping to make sure ethnic minorities don’t face disproportionate barriers to achievement in the labour market.
Background
The government announced plans to improve the help and training we provide for people looking for work in the coalition agreement. This included:
replacing existing welfare to work programmes with a single programme to help all unemployed people get back to work
making sure that contracts with welfare to work providers are based more closely on the results they achieve in getting people back to work
helping unemployed people who want to become self-employed with support from business mentors and financial help
offering pre-employment training and work placements for unemployed people
developing local work clubs where unemployed people can share skills and make contacts
Introducing Universal Credit
We began introducing Universal Credit in 2013 for people who are looking for work or on a low income. Universal Credit brings together a range of working-age benefits into a single payment. It will help to smooth the transitions into and out of work and encourage people on benefits to start paid work or increase their hours by making sure work pays.
Reviewing specialist disability employment programmes
In December 2010, the Secretary of State asked Liz Sayce, the Chief Executive of RADAR, the UK’s largest disability campaigning organisation, to conduct an independent review of the government’s specialist disability employment programmes. An aim of the review was to examine how more disabled people could be helped into work within the available funding.
The findings of that review were published on 9 June 2011 in ‘Getting in, staying in and getting on’.
We published the government response to the review on 11 July 2011.
Welfare reform communications toolkit
Our welfare reform communications toolkit helps explain how DWP is changing the welfare system. It covers:
what we are changing
why we are making the changes
when we are making the changes
Who we’ve consulted
We ran discussions with potential suppliers of the Work Programme to propose and discuss ideas on specific areas from 19 July 2010 to 13 August 2010.
We sought views from customer representative organisations to help us develop the Work Programme from 16 September 2010 to 20 October 2010.
In December 2010, the Secretary of State asked Liz Sayce, the Chief Executive of RADAR, to conduct an independent review of the government’s specialist disability employment programmes.
We consulted on the recommendations in Liz Sayce’s review from 11 July 2011 to 17 October 2011. We published our response to the consultation on 7 March 2012.
We sought views on how we can help in-work Universal Credit claimants increase their earnings, develop skills and qualifications and achieve financial independence from 25 January 2013 to 25 March 2013.
Impact
We have published an equality impact assessment for the Work Programme.
We have conducted an equality impact assessment for work experience and a privacy impact assessment for work experience. The privacy impact assessment assesses the privacy risks to individuals in the collection, use and disclosure of information.
Case studies
Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH): Work Programme real life story
A Stafford housing association is making a difference to its local community and taken on 10 young people through the Work programme.
Bob Sayce, Worksop and Graham Simpson, Tuxford: Work Programme real life story
The Work Programme was a turning point for Bob. Ingeus recognised he had valuable skills and what he needed was to be given a chance.
David Agnew, age 52, and David Watson, age 46, Irvine, Scotland: Work Programme real life story
‘The support I received was incredible, helping with all sorts of practical and financial stumbling blocks for me along the way.’
Terence, age 33, Stoke-on-Trent
'My experience with Shaw Trust was very positive and I received all the support I needed to get back into work.'
Emma, age 19, Doncaster: Work Programme real life story
Epilepsy sufferer Emma’s Work Programme adviser helped her look and apply for suitable work and build her confidence.
Elina, age 51, Clydebank: Work Programme real life story
'Without this support and encouragement I think it would have been more difficult to get back into the workplace.'
Simon, age 40, Oxford: Work Programme real life story
Simon had been out of work since 2009 and his participation in the Work Programme led to an apprenticeship in Business Administration.
Elizabeth, Ashington: Work Programme real life story
Thanks to the support of the Work Programme Elizabeth has returned to work sooner than she ever thought possible.
Jamie, age 24, Chichester: Work Programme real life story
I've gone to college and achieved my goals, which before I thought would be impossible. My Dad can’t stop congratulating me – he’s so proud.
Jennifer, age 48, Letchworth: Work Programme real life story
Jennifer's adviser encouraged her to think of different types of employment and recommended Sainsbury’s as a good employer of deaf people.
Steven, age 50, Blackburn: Work Programme real life story
Steven had been unemployed for 10 years, however his Work Programme adviser recognised that he had the determination to get back into work.
Kevin, West Bromwich: Work Programme real life story
'I was feeling demoralised and downhearted about finding work. My adviser gave me all the help I needed to regain my confidence.'
Jade, age 19, Nottingham: Work Programme real life story
5 weeks after joining the Work Programme, Jade started work and is getting the experience she needs to reach her ambition as a senior carer.
Brogan Johnston … the happiest, proudest post room girl ever!
Brogan Johnston talks about how she got her job and what it means to her.
Miro Griffiths: getting in, staying in and getting on
Miro Griffiths, a young disabled person, talks about his ideas and aspirations for employment support.
Jaison marches on!
Jaison was discharged from the army with post traumatic stress disorder and referred to Remploy to help the move back into civilian life.
Family double for Brett and Jessica
Brother and sister Brett and Jessica Senior have reason to smile after starting their first permanent jobs with help from Remploy.
Want to be your own boss? Dean Clarke – R3v3r3nt Skateboards
How passion and the New Enterprise Allowance helped Dean Clarke set up a skateboard, clothing and video business – R3V3R3NT Skateboards.
Want to follow your passion? Natasha Simpson – Unity Counselling Service
How advice and support from the New Enterprise Allowance helped Natasha Simpson set up her business – Unity Counselling Service.
Marvin: He was fighting back tears for fear of other prisoners seeing
Even though Marvin had a criminal record, he still managed to find employment with support from Jobcentre Plus.
Steve: He had made a mistake and needed another chance
Working in partnership with external providers, Jobcentre Plus found employment for Steve on his release from prison.
Help for young people through volunteering: an ESF project in Sheffield
How volunteering with personalised support helped young people in Sheffield gain qualifications, go to college or find an apprenticeship.
Employment support for the over 50s: an ESF project in Luton
How personal advisers and group sessions help unemployed over 50s in Luton get the confidence and skills to find work.
Newquay aeronautical engineering apprentices: an ESF project
How European Social Fund support helped young apprentices get globally recognised industry qualifications.
new futures: an ESF project for ex-offenders
How the European Social Fund helps ex-offenders get qualifications and employment in south west England.
Step Up: work and training for young people: an ESF project in South Tyneside
How working in the community with training providers and employers helps young people make progress towards work.
Inspire! is improving opportunities for young people: an ESF project in North London
How ESF and bringing education and businesses together improves job prospects for young people.
Supporting families with multiple problems: an ESF project in Widnes
How ESF support for families with multiple problems helps them into education, training and work.
Raising Aspirations project: an ESF project in Cornwall
How education and training helps low-skilled people improve their career prospects and benefit their employer.
Work experience gave Jonathan a huge confidence boost
How work experience paid off for unemployed 19 year old Jonathan Bradbury
How a wage incentive helped Leigh to get a job
A wage incentive helped the owners of Meg's sweet shop to employ Leigh Simms and keep their business running.
Helping prisoners find work and reducing re-offending: Bad Boys’ Bakery
How working in a bakery is helping prisoners find work on release and reducing their re-offending.