Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Bradley Excerpts

Monday 28th June 2021 Commons Chamber

[Theo Clarke (Stafford) (Con)]

What steps she is taking to help people back into work through the provision of jobcentre services.

[Ben Bradley (Mansfield) (Con)]

What steps she is taking to help people back into work through the provision of jobcentre services.

[Giles Watling (Clacton) (Con)]

What steps she is taking to help people back into work through the provision of jobcentre services.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mims Davies]

I know that my hon. Friend takes a strong interest in her Jobcentre Plus, as she updated me following her visit. I remind Members that since September 2020, our enhanced DWP youth offer has provided wraparound support for 18 to 24-year-old claimants, providing a 13-week tailored pre-employment course. I am pleased that Stafford JCP is hosting an interactive kickstart event tomorrow; our JCPs do that kind of event and engagement regularly.

[Ben Bradley [V]]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for all her team are doing to support people back into work. In conversations with my local jobcentre staff this week, they reported very positive progress. They asked what opportunities there might be to consider extending kickstart-style schemes or incentives, so they are able to help out-of-work adults as well as young people. I wonder if my hon. Friend could help me to answer their question.

[Mims Davies]

I am proud that our plan for jobs supports people, at any age and at any career stage, who are looking for new opportunities through, for example, our sector-based work academy programmes, our enhanced “50 PLUS: Choices” offer, and the new DWP “Train and Progress”, through which people can train for longer into a growing sector using the flexibilities built in within universal credit.