Employment Schemes: Disability

(asked on 11th March 2015) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what checks are made to ensure that there is effective communication from Jobcentre Plus and Work Choice providers.


Answered by
Lord Freud Portrait
Lord Freud
This question was answered on 18th March 2015

Disabled people are able to access Work Programme support at a variety of points. Those on Employment and Support Allowance can enter the programme immediately after their Work Capability Assessment. Claimants on Jobseekers’ Allowance with a disability can volunteer from three months after the date of their claim. If Jobseekers’ Allowance claimants with a disability do not elect to join the programme at this point, they will be referred on a mandatory basis 12 months after the initial point of claim.

To be eligible for Work Choice, a customer/claimant must be of working age, resident in the UK and disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010. They must also satisfy the following suitability criteria:

· experience complex employment support needs arising primarily from their disability; AND

· have barriers in work that cannot be overcome through workplace adjustments required under the Equality Act 2010 and/or Access to Work support; AND

· likely to need support in work as well as help with finding work; AND

· cannot be helped through other DWP programmes/suitable provision; AND

· expect to be able to work for a minimum of 16 hours or more per week following completion of Module One of Work Choice.

The specific information requested for the percentage of disabled people supported into employment from the Work Programme and by Work Choice is not available.

The Department checks accuracy of information through its tried and tested quality assurance process involving full sign-off of products by stakeholders and senior management.

The Department, as part of the Work Choice provider guidance, prescribes the events that should be followed to ensure a clear, effective and salient approach to communications with participants receiving support under this programme. This is reviewed on a continual basis however any concerns or issues with individual communications are dealt with by exception rather than by routine or prescribed period checks.

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