Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on the roll-out of the Universal Support Programme.

My Department continues to work in collaboration with local areas to support their development and delivery of the new employment support programme, shaped around local services and priorities. The programme will primarily help economically inactive disabled people, people with long term conditions and people with additional barriers, to help them find and fulfil their potential to work.

We will shortly be launching the grant guidance for the programme, after which local authorities will work with DWP and local partners to design their local programmes. It is anticipated that some areas will begin delivery of the new programme from spring 2025 but this will be a phased roll out, led by local authorities.