Blog

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the three year wage subsidy for former Remploy disabled employees transferring to a new employer was not available for new businesses set up for the purpose of employing disabled people formerly employed by Remploy.

Mike Penning

The Government agreed to a transitional time limited wage subsidy, for all disabled workers that TUPE to a new employer as part of Remploy’s commercial process, to support the ongoing employment of Remploy disabled workers.

For all disabled former Remploy workers made redundant as a result of factory closures, the Government agreed that the best support to help them find a job was to put in place the £8 million guaranteed People Help and Support Package (PHSP) providing help for up to 18 months. As at 21 March 2014, 1,513 disabled former Remploy workers are choosing to work with our Personal Case Workers to find another job and 716 are in work.

The PHSP includes one to one support from a Personal Case Worker to identify suitable help to find work including access to advice and support to set up a business. This includes the Community Support Fund, which has provided financial support for former disabled Remploy workers to help them use existing skills and expertise to set up three new small businesses in Aberdeen, Stoke and Worksop. In addition, three other Community Support Fund projects are being used to set up small businesses in Birkenhead, Leeds and Newcastle.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Community Support Fund for former Remploy employees was only accessible through a third party and what estimate he has made of how many eligible former Remploy employees did not make a claim because they were unable to do so themselves.

Mike Penning

The Community Support Fund (CSF) was co-produced with disabled people and ex -Remploy employees to determine exactly what type of support or project they wanted to take part in. A key driver for the CSF was to ensure ex -employees could keep in touch with former work colleagues; to help negate feelings of isolation. This social activity can only be achieved by offering opportunities for ex-employees to take part in group activities.

Access to CSF was provided through Disabled People’s User Led and Voluntary Sector Organisations who have the necessary skills to support these projects, providing vital peer support, personalised local services and actively working to increase participation in local community activities.

The Community Support Fund (CSF) projects have provided opportunities for 1136 disabled ex-employees and 827 people have taken part in CSF activities at March 2014.

We are unable to provide an estimate of how many eligible former Remploy employees did not make a claim for CSF funding because they were unable to do so themselves.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons his Department paid the majority of the support package for former Remploy workers to Job Centre Plus for a rapid response team; what that rapid response did to assist former Remploy employees; and what the outcome of that assistance was.

Mike Penning

The Rapid Response Service (RRS) was made available to all former affected Remploy employees and was funded separately to the £8 million People Help and Support Package (PHSP), which provides help all disabled former Remploy workers made redundant as a result of factory closures.

RRS support was made available to all affected Remploy employees at the earliest opportunity following the announcement of a Remploy factory closure. Working with Remploy a range of support was agreed taking into account local circumstances and involved partner organisations where appropriate, for example the National Careers Service.

Typically, RRS included on-site support and advice that helped with; providing information about being made redundant, identifying transferable skills, job options and training needs, learning new skills appropriate to the local labour market, job search skills and finding a new job, overcoming barriers to work and settling into a new job.

Together, with the PHSP, as at 21 March this support has helped 716 former Remploy workers who are now in work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will extend the Welsh model of assistance offered to former Remploy employees setting up a business and not subject to TUPE provisions to England and Scotland.

Mike Penning

The Government agreed to a transitional time limited wage subsidy, for all disabled workers that TUPE to a new employer as part of Remploy’s commercial process, to support the ongoing employment of Remploy disabled workers.

For all disabled former Remploy workers made redundant as a result of factory closures, the Government agreed that the best support to help them find a job was to put in place the £8 million guaranteed People Help and Support Package (PHSP) providing help for up to 18 months. As at 21 March 2014, 1,513 disabled former Remploy workers are choosing to work with our Personal Case Workers to find another job and 716 are in work.

The PHSP includes one to one support from a Personal Case Worker to identify suitable help to find work including access to advice and support to set up a business. This includes the Community Support Fund, which has provided financial support for former disabled Remploy workers to help them use existing skills and expertise to set up three new small businesses in Aberdeen, Stoke and Worksop. In addition, three other Community Support Fund projects are being used to set up small businesses in Birkenhead, Leeds and Newcastle.