Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps their Department is taking to implement the guidance entitled The government’s approach to rural proofing 2025, published on 15 May 2025.

The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed. Rural proofing ensures that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas.

DEFRA leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is rural proofed.

Rural proofing is important because rural communities are an important part of the economy. Rural areas are home to around one-fifth of England’s population and half a million registered businesses.

Policy outcomes in rural areas can be affected by economies of scale, distance, sparsity and demography. That is why it is important that government policies consider how they can be delivered in rural areas. Rural proofing ensures that these areas receive fair and equitable policy outcomes.

Our department takes its obligation to rural proofing seriously. In the Get Britain Working White Paper published in November 2024, the Government committed to giving local leaders increased powers to design and deliver approaches to employment support which were tailored to local needs.

All areas across England have been asked to produce local Get Britain Working plans which cover labour market priorities and challenges within their areas – including those impacted by rurality – and to work collectively across organisations including local government, Jobcentre Plus, and the local NHS to address these.

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. We will develop an enhanced digital offer accessible for everyone. Our vision for our new service is for people to be able to access support through the channels that best meet their needs – whether that is online, on the phone or in person.

Furthermore, the Flexible Support Fund is a non-recoverable discretionary fund that can be used to support eligible customers to move into employment, increase their earnings whilst in work or move closer to the labour market. Common barriers it can help to remove include, childcare costs; travel costs, clothing, and essential tools and equipment. It could be used to provide financial assistance which may help eligible rural customers overcome logistical barriers.