Tag: Department for Work and Pensions

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 24 September 2025.

Thousands more young people are to receive life-changing support into work or training – with football clubs across the country signing up to help the Government in their mission to ensure every 18-to-21-year-old has the chance to earn or learn.

• Every Premier League Football Club Charity now in talks with DWP to support the Youth Guarantee – helping more young people get into work or training.
• Youth Hub scheme to double to over 200 locations, giving more young people access to employment, skills and wellbeing support at football clubs, libraries and community centres closer to home.
• EFL in the Community, the charitable arm of the English Football League (EFL), and Rugby Football League confirm new partnerships, harnessing the power of sport to champion young people and break down barriers to opportunities as part of the Plan for Change.

Thousands more young people are to receive life-changing support into work or training – with football clubs across the country signing up to help the Government in their mission to ensure every 18-to-21-year-old has the chance to earn or learn.

The Government’s highly successful Youth Hubs – which are hosted by sports clubs and other community venues in England, Scotland and Wales – will almost double in number thanks to £25 million investment announced today.

The funding was announced as it was revealed that every Premier League club charity in England is now discussing with Government how they can help get young people earning or learning, while the EFL in the Community and Rugby Football League have also been confirmed as new partners, supporting the same aim.

This means even more young people across the country are being helped by their local teams, as well as the Government’s other Youth Guarantee partners.

To mark the expansion of the programme and our partnership with the Premier League, Secretary of State Pat McFadden will visit Selhurst Park, home to the Palace for Life Youth Hub and Crystal Palace football club, where he will meet staff and young people benefitting from the service to see first-hand the impact it is having in the community.

Youth Hubs offer personalised, wraparound employment, skills and wellbeing support to young people in the areas of highest need. Thanks to this latest investment they will almost double to over 200 places across England, Scotland and Wales in the next three years.

The Hubs bring support, such as CV and wellbeing advice, directly to young people – taking place in settings right at the heart of the community like sports clubs, libraries and community centres.

With nearly one million young people not in education, employment or training, this expansion is helping to inspire a renewed sense of purpose and ambition in young people as well as breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the Plan for Change.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden, said:

The number of young people not in education, employment or training is unacceptably high, and this Government will not stand by while so many are robbed of their potential and our country of its future.

Through our £25 million expansion of Youth Hubs and partnerships with the Premier League and other key organisations, we’re creating real opportunities for the next generation, ensuring support is targeted to those most in need.

This investment will support our mission to give every young person the skills and confidence they need to thrive, as we break down barriers to opportunity under our Plan for Change.

Run in partnership with Jobcentres, Youth Hubs bring Youth Work Coaches together with local partners including charities, councils and employers to provide everything from CV advice to skills training to careers guidance and wellbeing support. In future, they will also provide access to mental health services, housing and homelessness support.

Erin is one of many young people who have flourished thanks to the Government-funded support offered by her local Youth Hub.

Unemployed for two years and struggling with motivation, she visited the Palace for Life Youth Hub. After joining the hospitality programme where she gained valuable experience and confidence, she completed a work placement and was offered a permanent job, marking the start of an exciting new chapter.

The Secretary of State will host a roundtable at Selhurst Park with existing Youth Guarantee partners including the Premier League and Channel 4, as well as new partners such as the EFL in the Community and Rugby Football League.

Clare Sumner, chief policy and social impact officer at the Premier League said:

The Premier League is proud to support the expansion of Youth Hubs so young people, whatever their background, can access the opportunities, support and inspiration they deserve.

Between 2022 and 2025, the Premier League has invested £1.6 billion into wider football and communities, helping support people of all ages who need it most, and create more chances for young people to learn and grow. By working in partnership with Government on the Youth Guarantee, we can build on this foundation and ensure Youth Hubs offer even more opportunities to help young people thrive.

Together we are showing how football is more than a game, reaching those who need support most, helping them fulfil their potential and strengthening communities nationwide.

The announcement is the latest example of the Government’s work to tackle the rising number of young people not in education, employment, or training. In August, an additional £45 million was invested to extend funding for eight Youth Guarantee trailblazers across England whilst an extra £100 million will help to train up 40,000 young construction workers as the Government continues to break down barriers to opportunity under the Plan for Change.

It marks another step in the plan to Get Britain Working and raise living standards by modernising Jobcentres, boosting the National Living Wage, and creating more secure jobs through the Employment Rights Bill.

Additional information

Ayesha Baloch, Senior Policy Advisor at Impetus, said: 

The renewed focus on Youth Hubs is a fantastic opportunity to engage more young people in employment by creating a welcoming space where they truly want to be. Through a culture of hospitality, Youth Hubs have the potential to engage hundreds of thousands of young people currently locked out of the labour market and missing out on key employment support. A vital part of the Youth Guarantee, Hubs are a crucial outlet for ensuring all young people get the support they need to join the labour market and thrive in work.

Sam Avanzo Windett, Deputy Director at Learning and Work Institute (L&W), said:

With nearly a million young people not currently earning or learning, further investment in the Government’s Youth Hubs network is welcome. In England, we know that fewer than one in four young people not in education, employment or training are getting help to move into work and around half are not claiming benefits and risk missing out on support altogether. Youth Hubs co-locate services, making it easier for young people to access support and help overcome the associated stigma that deters many young people from engaging with Jobcentre Plus. Engaging and offering more young people help to find a job or improve their skills is essential for our future workforce and to help reach the Government’s aim for an 80 per cent employment rate.

Barry Fletcher, CEO at Youth Futures Foundation said: 

Youth Hubs have made a promising start at providing place-based solutions to help young people into work – meeting young people where they are with targeted support, welcoming spaces, and trusted relationships.

Expanding them and linking with Youth Guarantee trailblazer areas is an important part of the system response needed to reduce the large number of young people not in education, employment or training, and build a more prosperous future.

Neil Carberry, Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Chief Executive, and an RFU-qualified rugby referee and coach, said:

This is the kind of creative thinking needed to encourage more young people into the workforce. It also keeps the ball rolling toward the goal of ensuring local organisations, employers, and recruiters target support effectively at economically inactive people in their communities. As recruiters, we know that all it takes is a small steer, suggestion, or personally delivered coaching to help a young person land a job.

Becci Newton, Director, Public Policy Research, Institute for Employment Studies, said:  

The Government’s announcement of substantial new investment in youth hubs across Great Britain is great news for young people, particularly those struggling with unemployment or inactivity. Hubs bring together a range of services to support young people to find work or training. Plus, hubs co-locate services so there can be easy access to support on physical and mental health, housing, transport and other possible issues.

Our evaluation with young people showed high degrees of satisfaction with youth hubs. Young people appreciated the personalised support available and the welcoming environment which helped to secure their engagement.

Patrick Milnes, Head of Policy, People and Work at the British Chambers of Commerce: 

Getting more young people into employment, education or training is a top priority for business.  

Firms know that the longer we leave this young pool of talent to drift away from the workplace the harder it becomes for them to engage. 

Collaboration with sports organisations can be a match winner. We really welcome this new initiative as a powerful springboard to accelerate Government schemes we know are already making a difference.

Elizabeth Taylor, ERSA’s Chief Executive said:

ERSA strongly welcomes the expansion of Youth Hubs, we have long campaigned for this model of co-location with work coaches, employment support providers and community-based organisations, as we know it is an effective way of harnessing engagement and better outcomes for individuals.

A report published last week (17 September) by ERSA, supported by EFL in the Community, found that Football Club charities are trusted and visible organisations, rooted in some of the most deprived communities in England and Wales, who can effectively engage with disadvantaged groups who may not otherwise access mainstream provision.

Marc Lovering, RFL Director of Development

The RFL are huge supporters of the Youth Hubs initiative. The sport makes a positive impact on thousands of young people across the north of England, especially through our charitable Foundations and Community Wellbeing Hubs – and we look forward to building on our work alongside the DWP, other agencies and sports under this exciting new investment.

• The expansion of Youth Hubs will include a standardised service model to ensure consistent, high-quality support across all Youth Hubs, marking a significant step forward in delivering more accessible, joined-up employment support and connecting young people to a wider range of services such as health, housing, and wellbeing support.
• The latest ONS young people not in education, employment or training statistics were published on Thursday 21 August at 9.30 here: Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), UK – Office for National Statistics

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 23 September 2025.

The Pension Protection Fund has today (23rd September) confirmed that it will not charge a levy to pension providers, saving £45 million across 5,000 Defined Benefit (DB) pension schemes.

• Pension Protection Fund (PPF) will not charge a levy this year unlocking £45 million of savings for 5000 pension schemes
• The savings can be used to boost the economy through investments or top up pension pots
• This was made possible by the Government’s Pension Schemes Bill which is removing barriers to growth as part of our Plan for Change

Growth is at the heart of the Government’s Plan for Change and these significant savings could now be used for investments to boost the UK economy, or to strengthen the security of members benefits.

This decision is a direct result of the reforms set out in the Government’s Pension Schemes Bill, demonstrating how our plans to modernise the pension system are already delivering for the public and the UK economy.

Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell said:

Rigid rules currently leave pension schemes paying millions into the Pensions Protection Fund even when extra funding is not required.

The Pension Schemes Bill will sweep away those constraints. This will support better funded pension schemes and greater investment by firms.

The PPF levy is a charge on eligible pension schemes that pays into a central reserve – which currently sits at a £14 billion surplus – used to protect employees’ pensions if their employer collapses. Regulations currently operate a use it or lose it mechanism, limiting increases to 25% and preventing a zero levy from being invested if it were ever needed.

The Pension Schemes Bill, which has received wide-ranging support, rewrites the rules around the levy making it easier for the PPF to adjust it year on year and without risking losing the power to charge if it drops to zero. This allows for greater flexibility freeing up money in times of high surpluses while ensuring that it can be altered if needed to protect the future of schemes and safeguard pensioners.

Kate Jones, PPF Chair said:

I’m pleased that we’re able to save DB schemes £45m this year. The legislative changes we’ve needed to further reduce the levy have made good progress, giving us the confidence to act decisively for this year’s levy.

As we reach this significant milestone on our journey to financial self-sufficiency, we recognise the invaluable contribution levy payers have made over the past 20 years. We couldn’t have delivered the protection and peace of mind to members without them.

This new approach to setting the levy to zero demonstrates the Government’s dedication to ensuring the sustainability of the pension system while reducing the financial burden on employers and pension schemes. The move comes as a result of the fund’s robust financial position allowing them to balance the interests of levy payers and its members.

Alongside this, the Pension Schemes Bill will boost workers’ pension pots by £29,000 through hoovering up small pension pots worth £1,000 into one place, protecting savers from underperforming schemes and creating Defined Contribution megafunds so bigger and better pension schemes can drive down costs and invest in a wider range of assets.

Furher information

• The Board of Pension Protection Fund collects a levy from eligible defined benefit occupational pension schemes.
• The Pension Protection Fund has a reserve of more than £14 bn. In view of its strong financial position, the Pension Protection Fund announced that they would more than halve the 2024/25 levy to £45m for the financial year 2025/26. They have now confirmed that the levy will be reduced to zero, without risking its ability to pay its members’ benefits.
• Restrictions in the legislation prevent the levy from being significantly reduced even to zero and raised back up again within a reasonable timeframe. It was announced in the Pension Schemes Bill that the Government intends to remove this restriction and enable the Pension Protection Fund to reduce the levy to zero or a low amount.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 21 August 2025.

Equity and inclusion consultant Zara Todd has been appointed as Chair of the Government’s new Independent Disability Advisory Panel, taking a guiding role in its development and focus.

Deaf and disabled people and individuals with long-term health conditions on the newly-created panel will also advise the Government on health and disability policies.

Announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the panel will be an independent advisory group with a broad remit across all of health and disability policy.

It will provide guidance, recommendations and feedback to embed lived experience into policy design and delivery, aiming to build trust and strengthen relationships with the sector.

With over 20 years of experience working with a range of organisations on Disability Equality and participation, Zara Todd will be central in recruiting the wider panel and reporting its ideas and insights back to the Government.

Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said:

It is absolutely vital that the voices of Deaf and disabled people and those with long-term health conditions are at the centre of our health and disability policy design, so I am pleased to announce Zara Todd as the Chair of new Independent Disability Advisory Panel.

Zara’s extensive and wide-ranging experience, including designing and facilitating disability inclusive spaces, will be invaluable in guiding the collaboration we hope to build.

I look forward to listening to, learning from and collaborating with the Panel over the coming months.

Zara Todd, Chair of the Disability Advisory Panel said:

I’m delighted to chair the new Independent Disability Advisory Panel and help ensure Deaf and disabled people and people with long-term health conditions are heard in Government policy-making.

The Panel will aim to strengthen relationships between the Government and sector, and I look forward to working with other disabled people to connect lived experience with policy development.

I hope that working collaboratively, we can build stronger links and build an approach that works for all.

Since 2024, Zara has been a Chairperson of the Edinburgh Accessibility Commission, providing independent advice on accessibility for disabled people to Edinburgh council. She is currently a member of the mobility and access committee for Scotland (MACS) she is a member of the British Council Disability Advisory Panel and is currently the convener of Disability Equality Scotland.

She has a long history of working with disabled people’s organisations including the Alliance for Inclusive Education, the European Network on Independent Living, and Equal Lives. Zara is currently on the board of Disabled Peoples’ International and was previously the chair of Inclusion London. She is an experienced trainer and facilitator and delivers training in disability equality and human rights.

The Panel will run separately to the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), but expertise and insight will be shared between the two.

Further information

• An Expression of Interest for the Independent Disability Advisory Panel will be launched soon on GOV.UK to appoint Panel members. Full application details will be available on GOV.UK once the recruitment campaign officially launches.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 19 August 2025.

Millions of people will receive their essential financial support before the August bank holiday weekend, as the Government has confirmed that benefit payments will be brought forward to Friday 22 August.

• Change to benefits payment date for millions of people will help them with their financial planning and providing peace of mind for those on low incomes.
• It comes ahead of the new school year, which will allow families and carers to plan their spending with confidence, knowing their support is already in place.
• This proactive measure demonstrates the Government’s commitment through its Plan for Change to raising living standards, breaking down barriers to opportunity and ensuring growth is felt by everyone, everywhere.

The early payment arrangement will apply to all major benefits including Universal Credit, Child Benefit, State Pension, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, and Disability Living Allowance, ensuring that payments originally scheduled for the weekend of 23-25 August reach recipients on time.

This proactive measure will provide financial certainty for families as they prepare for the new school year, allowing parents and carers to plan their spending with confidence knowing their support is already in place during what can be an expensive time for households.

Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said:

We know how much families rely on these payments, and by bringing them forward ahead of the bank holiday we’re ensuring no one has to worry about whether their support will be there when they need it most.

This is especially important ahead of the new school year – no family should have to choose between buying school supplies and putting food on the table.

This is what our Plan for Change is all about – putting working families and the most vulnerable first and ensuring every family has the security they need to plan for the future.

The early payment policy ensures recipients receive their funds before banks and government offices close for the holiday weekend, maintaining the continuity of support that millions depend upon.

This announcement comes as the Government continues to deliver on its Plan for Change, breaking down barriers to opportunity and raising living standards in every part of the United Kingdom.

For the first time ever, the Universal Credit standard allowance will permanently rise above inflation, delivering £725 by 2029/30 in cash terms for a single person aged 25 or over. This represents the highest permanent real terms increase to the main rate of out-of-work support since 1980, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and will benefit nearly four million households.

These reforms will change the lives of people across the country as part of the Government’s mission-led approach to kickstart economic growth. By putting more money into working people’s pockets and ensuring those seeking employment have the support they need, these changes will drive productivity, prosperity and higher living standards across the UK.

Additional Information:

• Benefit payments originally due on Saturday 23, Sunday 24, and Monday 25 August 2025 will be paid early on Friday 22 August 2025.
• Applies across the entire United Kingdom (Scotland follows the same principle despite different bank holiday arrangements).
• Affects multiple benefits: Universal Credit, Child Benefit, State Pension, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, and Pension Credit.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 22 July 2025.

Victims of miscarriages of justice will no longer lose out on key benefit support, thanks to legislative changes coming into force today.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 11 July 2025.

Young people with experience of being out of education, employment and training will help shape policy as part of a new Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel.

Young people with experience of being out of education, employment and training will help shape policy as part of a new Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel.

The panel, made up of 17 young people aged 18 to 24, will regularly meet to discuss the biggest barriers they face to building their careers and advise what can be done to break these down.

It comes as the latest data shows one in eight young people are currently not in education, employment or training – demonstrating the urgent need for reform to ensure the next generation get the support they need to get on in work and in life.

Officially launched in Youth Employment Week, the step to put young people’s voices at the heart of decision-making marks another major milestone in building the Government’s Youth Guarantee to ensure all 18-to-21-year-olds in England get the chance to earn or learn.

Panel members were recruited with the help of our partners, Youth Futures Foundation and Youth Employment UK. These key organisations support the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education to run the sessions.

Early insight from the panel has found that some of the most significant obstacles include mental health challenges and an overemphasis in school on UCAS applications instead of tailored careers advice, including alternative options like apprenticeships and training. Lack of public transport and access to digital tools and devices have also been raised as barriers.

The Government has already started making changes to address these challenges – including reforming the apprenticeship system, providing access to mental health support in every school and college and maintaining the £3 bus fare cap on single bus fares in England outside of London.

This comes alongside wider Get Britain Working reforms to transform Jobcentres and roll out eight Youth Guarantee trailblazers across England to test and deliver targeted skills and employment support for young people.

All views shared in the panel meetings will go on to inform policy to ensure that the Youth Guarantee best serves young people.

Giving every young person the best start in life is central to the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity in every part of the country as part of the Plan for Change.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:

Young people know better than anyone the challenges they face – and the support they need to succeed.

That’s why their voices will shape how we will deliver a Youth Guarantee that truly works, opening up real opportunities for every 18-to-21-year-old to be in work, training or education.

Backed by our £45 million investment in targeted youth employment support, this is about unlocking potential, tackling inequality and transforming lives.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

For too long, young people have been talked down to and had their opinions dismissed. The Youth Advisory Panel’s contributions so far have been incredibly insightful, and we are already starting to implement some of their suggestions.

We have started to reform the apprenticeship system, reprioritising funding to young people, cutting red tape to make it easier to start or complete an apprenticeship and introducing foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors. We are also committed to improving careers advice, as well as delivering two weeks’ worth of work experience for every secondary school pupil and providing access to mental health support in every school and college.

We will ensure the Youth Advisory Panel’s views continue to be taken into account as we continue to break down barriers to opportunity to help young people thrive through our Plan for Change.

Barry Fletcher, CEO, Youth Futures Foundation and Laura-Jane Rawlings MBE, CEO, Youth Employment UK said:

We are proud to jointly support the launch of the Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel and welcome the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education to involve young people from the outset in the design of this policy.

This partnership is about ensuring young people have a meaningful role in shaping the Youth Guarantee, and it’s encouraging that trailblazers are actively exploring how to do this locally.

Panel members are already highlighting barriers to education and employment and offering critical insights into the support young people need to succeed.

We look forward to continuing this work to build a system that works for all young people, regardless of their background or circumstances.’

Shana Fatahali, Youth Advisory Panel member and Future Voices Group Ambassador, Youth Futures Foundation said:

It has been empowering to be a member of the Youth Guarantee Youth Advisory Panel.

I’ve had the opportunity to make connections with other young people who share my passion for creating a better future. Since we are the ones using the system, we are aware of its challenges and where it needs to be improved. For this reason, youth voices are important.

I’m honoured to be a member of an organisation that is influencing actual decisions and introducing alternative perspectives. I can’t wait to keep advocating for a system that genuinely hears, involves, and supports all youth.

Brewster, Youth Ambassador, Youth Employment UK said:

During the time I have spent with the Youth Advisory Panel, it has been amazing to see others engage in the activities and discussions. I really love how committed my fellow Youth Ambassadors, Youth Employment UK, Youth Futures Foundations, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are to change things for the better for the youth. I’m really proud to see this happening with my own eyes. I can’t wait to see what things will happen that will positively affect young people. I can’t wait to learn more and work towards making a positive difference to young people.’’

In May, the Government officially launched eight Youth Guarantee trailblazers across England.

Backed by £45 million, the trailblazers are testing a new form of local delivery, matching young people to local job or training opportunities. The trailblazers will provide all-important learnings to inform the national roll-out of the programme.

This comes alongside record investment in skills and apprenticeships, providing a more personalised system for employers and those looking for work.

The Government has also taken further action to boost employment and drive-up living standards through boosting the National Living Wage, creating more secure jobs through the Employment Rights Bill and overhauling jobcentres as part of the Get Britain Working White Paper.

Further information

• The Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel has held some early sessions and will meet every six to eight weeks moving forward.
• Officials from DWP and DfE may test ideas related to the development of the Youth Guarantee to ensure the policy effectively answers the needs of young people today.
• Insights will be fed back to relevant senior officials and ministers after sessions.
• The latest ONS figures showing how many young people are not in education, employment or training were published on Friday 23 May: Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) – Office for National Statistics
• The eight youth trailblazers are in: Liverpool, West Midlands, Tees Valley, East Midlands, West of England, and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and two in London.
• The Youth Guarantee is an England only initiative as Skills, Education and Employment support are devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• We are working closely with the devolved governments to share experiences and lessons learned.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 11 July 2025.

Thousands of disabled people and people with complex health conditions to receive help finding secure, well-paid jobs.

Thousands of people who are out of work due to health conditions, disabilities or other reasons will be helped to find and stay in jobs thanks to a £100million funding boost announced by the Department for Work and Pensions today [Friday 11 July].

It’s part of the Government’s plan to Get Britain Working again including changing Jobcentres so staff have more time to support people, using better technology, and making sure there are good jobs across the whole country.  The Get Britain Working plan gives towns and cities the powers they need to grow and help more people into work.

The £103.6 million funding package will go towards the Connect to Work programme in Kent & Medway, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire and Greater Lancashire, supporting nearly 30,000 people.

With 2.8 million people out of work due to ill-health – one of the highest rates in the G7 – the government is taking action to tackle the pressing challenge, and Connect to Work is part of the government’s wider efforts to reduce economic inactivity and grow the economy by supporting more people into work and out of poverty as part of its Plan for Change.

Minister for Employment Alison McGovern said:

For too long, our country has been held back as towns and cities were left on their own to deal with the consequences of people being out of work. This government is investing to create good jobs, and our plan to Get Britain Working will make sure no one is left on the scrap heap any more.

Changing Jobcentres and providing funding for towns and cities will make sure everyone is included in our economic plan. No more abandoned places.

This latest funding will make a real difference in the lives of people across the country and give them the chance they deserve as part of our Plan for Change.

Connect to Work is being delivered across England and Wales, with the government already providing more than £150 million which will help to support around 41,000 people. In all more than 300,000 people will be supported by the programme over the next five years.

The programme comes as part of a major investment in employment support for sick and disabled people across this parliament – worth £3.8 billion over the course of this Parliament, and includes £2.2 billion delivered for support announced in our Pathways to Work Green Paper over the next four years, to help people find good, secure jobs.

The Connect to Work funding will be used to provide services including:

• Individual support from an employment specialist
• Profiling to identify the work aspirations of participants and development of a plan for them to achieve their goals
• Matching jobseekers with opportunities that suit their needs and circumstances
• Support for both participants and employers during the early employment period to help recruit and retain participants
• Practical support including coaching

The programme is just one of the ways disabled people, those with health conditions or complex barriers to employment can access support – including assistance provided through Jobcentres.

The latest funding support was announced as the Minister for Employment visited a Jobcentre in Preston to meet people already helped into work by existing employment support.

Under the Connect to Work programme Greater Lancashire – which includes Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Blackpool Council – is to receive up to £38.8 million to support 11,000 participants.

The Minister for Employment met with:

• Julie, who came to the Jobcentre on Universal Credit and faced significant personal challenges to finding work, including mental health struggles and self-doubt. Thanks to the support she received, including access to the Seasiders Traineeship and the Prince’s Trust Explore course, Julie was able to develop her confidence and is now employed as a cleaner at Dunelm – a job she hugely enjoys.

As announced earlier this year, through Connect to Work, up to £42.8million has been allocated to West London Alliance to support 10,800 people, and up to £11.1 million to East Sussex to assist 2,900 people.

It comes as 15 regions will benefit from a share of £1.5 million in funding to launch a pilot for the WorkWell Primary Care Innovation Fund. The pilot could transform how local people with health conditions are supported back into employment rather than writing them off with a fit note, reducing pressure on GPs in the area.

Additional Information

• Connect to Work is a locally-delivered programme and will follow internationally recognised and successful Supported Employment frameworks which support people who are long-term unemployed or facing complex barriers to work, including those with mental health challenges and learning disabilities.
• The funding figures, rounded to the nearest decimal point, for each delivery area in this latest tranche are as follows:
• Greater Lancashire £38.8 million
• Kent and Medway £34 million
• Hertfordshire £19.7 million
• Gloucestershire £11.1 million

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 9 July 2025.

Nearly 4 million households will see an annual income boost estimated to be worth £725 cash as a Bill to overhaul the welfare system completes the next stage of its passage through Parliament.

Nearly 4 million households will see an annual income boost estimated to be worth £725 cash as a Bill to overhaul the welfare system completes the next stage of its passage through Parliament.

For the first time ever, the Universal Credit standard allowance will permanently rise above inflation, amounting to £725 by 2029/30 in cash terms for a single person aged 25 or over.

This is the highest permanent real terms increase to the main rate of out-of-work support since 1980, according to the IFS.

Reforms set out in the Universal Credit Bill will look to rebalance the core payment and health top up in Universal Credit (UC). This will address the fundamental imbalance in the system which creates perverse incentives that drive people into dependency.

The Bill, which will legislate to make these changes, today successfully cleared the House of Commons. It will now be introduced into the House of Lords to continue its passage through Parliament towards Royal Assent.

Alongside these changes, we have published significant new measures, giving people receiving health and disability benefits the right to try work without fear of reassessment.

The new Right to Try Guarantee enshrines this in law for the first time and includes disabled people and people with health conditions – such as those recovering from illness – who want to return to work now their health has improved.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:

Our reforms are built on the principle of fairness, fixing a system that for too long has left people trapped in a cycle of dependence.

We are giving extra support to millions of households across the country, while offering disabled people the chance to work without fear of the repercussions if things don’t work out.

These reforms will change the lives of people across the country, so they have a real chance for a better future.

As part of our commitment to protect the most vulnerable and severely disabled, 200,000 in the Severe Conditions Criteria group – individuals with the most severe, lifelong conditions who are unlikely to recover – will not be called for a UC reassessment.

All existing recipients of the UC health element and new customers with 12 months or less to live or who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria will also see their standard allowance combined with their UC health element rise at least in line with inflation every year from 2026/27 to 2029/30.This means they can live with dignity and security, knowing the reforms to the welfare system mean it will always be there to support them.

We are also putting disabled people at the heart of a ministerial review of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment led by Disability Minister Stephen Timms and co-produced with disabled people, along with the organisations that represent them, experts, MPs and other stakeholders – making sure it is fair and fit for the future.

We will be engaging widely over the summer to design the process for the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon.

These reforms are underpinned by a major investment in employment support for sick and disabled people – worth £3.8 billion over the Parliament. Funding will be brought forward for tailored employment, health and skills support to help disabled people and those with health conditions get into work as part of our Pathways to Work guarantee.

This investment will accelerate the pace of new investments in employment support programmes, building on and learning from successes such as the Connect to Work programme, which are already rolling out to provide disabled people and people with health conditions with one-to-one support at the point when they feel ready to work.

The reforms build on the Get Britain Working White Paper that will overhaul Jobcentres, empower Mayors and local leaders to tackle inactivity, and deliver a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning, as part of the Government’s ambition to deliver an 80% employment rate.

Further information

The Universal Credit standard allowance is set to be around £250 higher than an inflation only increases.

The UC Bill legislates for:

Rebalancing of UC health and standard elements to address the fundamental imbalance in the system which creates perverse incentives that drive people into dependency through:

• Increasing the UC standard allowance above inflation for the next four years – worth an estimated £725 by 2029/30 for a single adult aged 25 or over.
• Reducing the health top-up for new claims to £50 per week from April 2026.
• Ensuring that all existing recipients of the UC health element – and any new claimant meeting the Severe Conditions Criteria and/or that has their claims considered under the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) – will receive the higher UC health payment after April 2026.
• Exemptions from reassessment for those with the most severe, lifelong conditions.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 23 June 2025.

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced the appointment of Kirstin Baker as the new Interim Chair of The Pensions Regulator (TPR), effective from 1 August 2025.

Kirstin Baker will succeed Sarah Smart, who has held the post of TPR Chair.

About the TPR:

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is the UK’s statutory body responsible for ensuring the integrity of workplace pensions by making schemes and employers comply with their duties, providing strategic oversight of the pensions market and support innovation to enhance outcomes for savers.

Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell said:

I am pleased to welcome Kirstin Baker as the Interim Chair of The Pensions Regulator (TPR). I look forward to working with her as she brings to bear the wealth of experience from her role as TPR senior independent board member.

Kirstin Baker said:

I am delighted to take on this interim chair role while a competition is undertaken for the next full-term chair of The Pensions Regulator.  I would like to thank Sarah Smart for all the work she has done as TPR chair and look forward to building on this.

Kirstin Baker is currently the Senior Independent member of the TPR Board. She was appointed a Panel Inquiry Chair and Panel Member Non-Executive Director of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Board on 1 September 2018 and is also a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. She stepped down from the board in March 2024 but remains a Panel InquiryChair.

Kirstin had a long career in the civil service and was most recently HM Treasury’s Finance and Commercial Director. Earlier in her career she was part of the senior team leading the Treasury’s response to the banking crisis and was awarded a CBE for this work.

The TPR Interim Chair

Kirstin Baker appointment starting from 1 August 2025 for a period of up to 9 months.

In her capacity as Interim Chair, Kirstin Baker is entitled to an annual remuneration of £73,840, based on a minimum time commitment of 104 days per annum.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 19 June 2025.

Deborah Evans is today confirmed as the new Chair of The Pensions Ombudsman.