Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that adequate support is in place for jobseekers with (a) health conditions and (b) disabilities in the period between the end of referrals to the Work and Health Programme in Autumn 2024 and the start of Universal Support in 2025.

When referrals to the Work and Health Programme (WHP) end in September and before Universal Support begins its rollout from Autumn 2024 there will still be services available for disabled people and those with health conditions who have employment support needs. These include Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme for disabled people and those with mild to moderate mental and physical health conditions.

It also includes, for example, the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme for people with drug and alcohol dependency and the Local Supported Employment (LSE) programme for people who are learning disabled, neurodivergent or Autistic as well as locally led employment support delivered through Jobcentres.