Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how his Department assesses the value in providing outcome payments to Restart Scheme providers in situations where participants enter employment through routes not directly facilitated by Restart providers, including through Jobcentre Plus or independent job search.

The Restart Scheme is designed to provide tailored and intensive support to help people move closer to, and into, sustained employment.

The value delivered by providers is not limited to matching participants with a specific vacancy. Providers work with individuals to address barriers to work and improve their employability through activities such as careers advice, CV development, interview preparation, skills training and confidence building.

The scheme is underpinned by a robust performance framework and Customer Service Standards (CSSs), which providers are contractually required to meet. These standards ensure that participants receive the high-quality, personalised support required by DWP.

The outcome payments have been calibrated at a scheme level to account for the fact that in some cases outcomes will occur partially or fully because of factors other than the support delivered by the provider, like support provided by Jobcentre Plus or independent job search by the participant.