Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve the processing time of applications to the Kickstart scheme.
We have recently streamlined and improved the assessment process, to take a more nuanced view of applications while maintaining a high standard for Kickstart jobs. These changes mean that more applications are likely to be successful. We have also continued to improve and expand our guidance to help employers understand what we are looking for when assessing applications.
We aim to process all applications within four weeks, we recognise this may not always have been possible. We have reprioritised staff resources to deliver the DWP’s Kickstart Scheme to meet the demand from the large number of supportive employers.