Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department were working on programmes supporting disabled people into work as of 23 April (a) 2010 and (b) 2024.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold this information centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
Improving the lives of disabled people is a priority for this Government. This includes supporting more disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. In recognition of this, the Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions. This not only benefits people’s health and wealth, but also the UK economy through increased productivity and reduced economic inactivity.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many starts have been recorded for the Youth Offer in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire as of 25 March 2024.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Youth Offer launched 20 September 2020 and provides support for 16–24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit to help them move into employment. It includes three elements:
As of the 1st of March 2024, there have been 1,200 starts to the Youth Offer in South Holland and The Deepings constituency, and a total of 17,420 starts in the Lincolnshire region. These figures are part of the overall 1,123,000 total starts on the Youth Offer.
Notes
Asked by: Liz Kendall (Labour - Leicester West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2024 to Question 18113 on Jobcentres: Finance, what the individual incentives are in the two incentive pilot programmes for work coaches supporting people into work.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP ran an initial incentives pilot for a 6-month period from March 2023 until August 2023. A second phase of the incentives pilot commenced 1 January 2024 and ended on 31 March 2024. The pilot was in line with existing Reward and Recognition policy, with vouchers between £95 and £250 issued to individuals working in those Jobcentres that qualify for an award.
Asked by: Liz Kendall (Labour - Leicester West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2024 to Question 18113 on Jobcentres: Finance, what the cost to the public purse was of the two incentive pilot programmes.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Incentive pilots were funded from within the Department’s existing Reward and Recognition budget at no additional cost to the public purse.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) planned spending is for and (b) expected number of beneficiaries are of the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme in each of the next five years.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES) programme is due to end on 21 September 2025. The forecasted spending for the 2024/2025 tax year and the beginning of the 2025/2026 tax year until the programme ends is shown in the table below.
FORECAST 2024/2025 | FORECAST 2025/2026 (up to 21 Sept 2025) |
£4.0m | £0.5m |
We do not produce a formal forecast of the number of participants for the IPES programme per year. The last intake of participants to the programme was December 2023. As of 29 February 2024, the total number of participants was 3,820. This number will decline as participants complete the programme, until September 2025 when the programme is due to end.
Please Note
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many starts have been recorded for the Youth Offer in (a) Greater London, (b) Bexley Borough and (c) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency as of 21 March 2024.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Youth Offer launched 20 September 2020 and provides support for 16–24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit to help them move into employment. It includes three elements:
As of 01 March 2024, there have been 1,123,000 starts on the Youth Offer. Starts in the requested areas can be found in the table below.
The number of Youth Offer starts in (a) Greater London, (b) Bexley Borough and (c) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency as of 1st March 2024 | |
Greater London | 166,800 |
Bexley | 3,700 |
Bexleyheath and Crayford | 1,500 |
Attached are tables listing the number of Youth Offer starts to date by Region, Local Authority and Parliamentary Constituency.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent on advertising the Back to Work Plan since November 2023 by advertising method.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
To date, the Department has not spent anything on advertising the Back to Work Plan.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to encourage people not actively looking for work to find employment.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP supports people across the country to move into and progress in work, and is committed to reducing economic inactivity. We want everyone who can work to be able to find a job, progress, and thrive in the labour market. The Department delivers comprehensive employment support including face-to-face time with Work Coaches in Jobcentres and contracted employment programmes.
Last year we also announced a wide range of additional support via the Spring Budget and the Back to Work Plan which will go further to break down barriers to work for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions, parents, over 50s and young people.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many starts by region have been recorded for the youth offer as of 01 March 2024.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Youth Offer launched on the 20 September 2020 and provides support for 16–24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit to help them move into employment. It includes three elements:
As of 01 March 2024, there have been 1,123,000 starts on the Youth Offer.
Starts by strand nationally:
Starts between dates | Youth Employment Programme | Youth Hub | Youth Employability Coach | Youth Offer |
21/09/2020 – 31/03/2021 | 206,700 |
|
| 206,700 |
01/04/2021 – 31/03/2022 | 259,300 | 14,800 | 21,700 | 295,800 |
01/04/2021 – 31/03/2023 | 272,700 | 15,100 | 18,300 | 306,200 |
01/04/2023 – 29/02/2024 | 282,800 | 13,000 | 18,500 | 314,300 |
Total Starts | 1,021,500 | 43,000 | 58,500 | 1,123,000 |
Starts by strand and region:
Region | Youth Employment Programme | Youth Hub | Youth Employability Coach | Youth Offer |
East Midlands | 69,000 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 72,500 |
East of England | 78,400 | 400 | 3,800 | 82,500 |
London | 157,800 | 3,100 | 5,900 | 166,800 |
North East | 51,100 | 2,800 | 3,300 | 57,200 |
North West | 131,500 | 10,700 | 9,600 | 151,800 |
Scotland | 85,300 | 3,000 | 7,900 | 96,200 |
South East | 107,000 | 3,700 | 3,800 | 114,600 |
South West | 64,700 | 700 | 4,100 | 69,500 |
Wales | 51,500 | 300 | 2,200 | 54,000 |
West Midlands | 108,900 | 8,900 | 7,800 | 125,600 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 96,400 | 8,200 | 7,300 | 112,000 |
Unknown | 19,800 | 200 | 400 | 20,400 |
Total | 1,021,500 | 43,000 | 58,500 | 1,123,000 |
Notes:
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2024 to Question 13226 on Veterans: Employment Scheme, how many and what proportion of ethnic minority veterans have used the Career Development Fund in the last 12 months.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Veterans’ employment is at an all-time high, with 89% of those leaving service finding employment within six months.
This Government's £700,000 Veterans’ Career Development Fund aims to build on that, increasing the provision and enhancing access to qualifications, training and skills development for veterans and their families across the UK.
The grant seeks to support veterans of all backgrounds, and encourages applications in particular from groups and organisations which seek to engage with and support minority groups and individuals within the overall veteran population, including those of ethnic minority backgrounds.
The fund closed for applications from organisations in January this year, with successful applicants due to be notified later this month. Activity and delivery of the projects will then commence after that point