Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of successful applications to the Kickstart Scheme were from (a) companies applying individually for over 30 applicants and (b) companies applying for less than 30 applicants through a Gateway scheme; and if she will make a statement.

The Kickstart scheme has seen high interest from applicants seeking to offer young people job placements. As such, the numbers of applications are fast-moving. As of 21/01/2021 there have been over 6,500 applications for funding from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme, some 6,000 of these having had final decisions made with over 2,000 of them being approved.

(a) Of the 2,000, there have been around 500 approved applications from employers applying directly with 30 or more jobs, representing 25% of all approved applications so far.

(b) Of the 2,000, there have been over 1,500 approved applications from prospective gateway organisations, representing 75% of all approved applications so far.