Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the contribution of local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to reducing poverty and supporting employment outcomes.

The Government is clear that tackling poverty and improving employment outcomes requires partnership working and that government cannot achieve this alone. The voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector is the bedrock of our communities, providing vital support to individuals and families experiencing poverty or unemployment.

The Civil Society Covenant demonstrates our commitment to working with the VCSE sector, recognising the value of civil society and supporting collaboration between government and VCSE partners. In addition, VCSE organisations will be fundamental to the delivery of our £500 million Better Futures Fund, which will support vulnerable children, young people and their families through innovative place-based projects seeking to break down barriers to opportunity and give children the best start in life.

Over the last 5 years we have spent £650m within the VCSE sector, the vast majority of which (at least 70% annually) is in Employment Services, which represents almost £500m in the sector over the period. We have ambitious plans with ministers for approval that aim to almost double our overall spend with the sector over the next two years and more importantly demonstrate a real commitment to engaging and working more effectively with both the VCSE and Small and Medium-sized Enterprise sectors and have already commenced delivery of these plans.

To develop and deliver the Child Poverty Strategy, we work in partnership with VCSE organisations at a national and local level. We will continue to engage directly with the VCSE sector to deliver our wider ambitions to reduce poverty and improve employment outcomes.