Tag: Department for Work and Pensions

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 23 July 2024.

Liz Kendall will today set out how Britain’s system of employment support must be fundamentally reformed to tackle the “most urgent challenge” of spiralling economic inactivity.

• Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will use landmark first speech to set out the Government’s plans to reverse dire labour market inheritance and drive up Britain’s employment
• Major new reforms will be at heart of Government’s ambition to reach an 80% employment rate, with a white paper on getting Britain working again
• Kendall set to empower local leaders to tackle economic inactivity, alongside a new Labour Market Advisory Board to help drive change and get Britain working again.

At the launch of the “Pathways to Work” report in Barnsley Ms Kendall will lay the path for a new Government white paper to get Britain working. This is central to delivering the Government’s first mission – to kickstart economic growth; making everyone, not just a few, better off.

She will set out the dire inheritance from the last 14 years including:

• Britain remaining the only country in the G7 whose employment rate has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
• 2.8 million people out of work due to ill health or disability
• 1 in 8 young people not in education, employment or work
• Spending on sickness and disability benefits is set to increase by £30bn over the next five years according to the OBR
• Too many people trapped in low paid, poor quality work, with little prospect of improving their lot in life. Of those in low in pay in 2006, only one-in-six escaped it a decade later.

Ms Kendall will argue:

The fundamental problem we face is that the current system of employment support is designed to address the problems of yesterday – not today, tomorrow and beyond.

She will say over the last 14 years the DWP has focused almost entirely on the benefits system, and specifically on implementing Universal Credit, and that “nowhere near enough attention has been paid to the wider issues – like health, skills, childcare and transport – that determine whether people get work, stay in work and get on in work.

She will call time on the approach of the previous government and instead seek “employment opportunity unleashed for all” as part of the government’s long-term ambition to reach 80 per cent employment, with better quality of work, and higher earnings.

The Secretary of State will set out bold plans to tackle economic activity by enabling local leaders to tailor schemes to get people back into work – and to prioritise good, rewarding, well paid work. She will say:

I can confirm today that we will empower local leaders and local areas to tackle economic inactivity and open up economic opportunity.

We will give local places the responsibility and resources to design a joined-up work, health and skills offer that’s right for local people.

DWP will support local areas to make a success of this new approach.

And we will devolve new powers over employment support to catalyse action and change.

Setting out her vision for reform, the Work and Pensions Secretary is also expected to say:

Over the last 14 years millions of people have been denied their rightful chance of participating in the labour market, and the hope of a brighter future. They’ve been excluded, left out, categorised and labelled. Britain isn’t working.

We need fundamental reform so the department for welfare becomes a genuine department for work.

We’ll pursue an ambitious plan alongside the government’s goals to raise productivity and living standards and to improve the quality of work. To get Britain growing again, get Britain building again and get Britain working again.

As part of her drive to tackle economic inactivity, the Secretary of State will also announce a new group of external experts who will provide labour market insight and advice to drive change throughout the system.

The Labour Market Advisory Board, which will be chaired by Paul Gregg – Former Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Policy at the University of Bath – is expected to meet quarterly and will provide advice to the Work and Pensions Secretary and offer insight, expertise, and challenge to the department’s plans.

The speech follows the announcement by the Work and Pensions Secretary, that the Government will, as part of the Growth Mission, publish a White Paper which will build on manifesto commitments of a three-pillared approach to support people into work:

• A new national jobs and career service to help get more people into work, and on in their work.
• New work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, led by Mayors and local areas.
• A youth guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21.

It forms part of a cross-government approach to help people into work, including the launch of Skills England, and cutting NHS waiting lists to build the healthy society needed for a healthy economy.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 18 July 2024.

The ‘truly dire’ state of the labour market has been revealed today with the number of people classed as economically inactive has spiralled to 9.4 million, as the Work and Pensions Secretary reaffirms her Plan to Get Britain Working again.

• New labour market data shows economic inactivity at near record high with the UK the only G7 country whose employment rate is not back to pre-pandemic levels.
• Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall says people have been ignored and denied the support they need to get into work and get on at work.
• Plan to Get Britain Working again and deliver growth includes overhauling jobcentres, delivering a youth guarantee, and new work, health, and skills plans.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) this morning also shows the percentage of people employed has fallen to 74.4%, while a near record 2.8 million people are now out of work due to long-term sickness.

Today’s figures come a week after the Secretary of State set out how the Government’s plan to get Britain working will tackle economic inactivity and drive growth in every corner of the country.

Alongside action to make work pay, overhaul skills and address the root causes of worklessness, including poor physical and mental health, the plan will deliver:

A new national jobs and career service to help get more people into work, and on in their work.

New work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, led by Mayors and local areas.

A youth guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall MP said:

Spiralling economic inactivity, rising unemployment and the UK standing alone as the only G7 country where the employment rate is still not back to pre-pandemic levels. This is a truly dire inheritance which the Government is determined to tackle.

Behind these statistics are real people, who have for too long been ignored and denied the support they need to get into work and get on at work.

It’s time for change – in every corner of the country. That is why we are taking immediate actions to deliver on our growth mission, and spread jobs, prosperity, and opportunity to everyone, wherever they live.

Our Plan to Get Britain Working again will overhaul jobcentres, deliver a youth guarantee, and give local areas the power they need to tackle economic inactivity and break down barriers to a brighter future.

In the first few days in office the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, unveiled the Government’s first steps to securing economic growth as the only route to improving the prosperity of the country and the living standards of working people.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP added:

Economic growth is our national mission and getting people back into work is central to that. It is the best way to improve living standards for everyone which is why I have already taken action to fix the foundations of our economy so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of our country better off.

The plan to deliver growth, get people into work, and improve the labour market will be a truly cross-government effort, with the Health Secretary setting out how cutting NHS waiting times will get Britain back to health and back to work.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 11 July 2024.

On a visit to Leeds Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will today (Thursday 11 July) confirm the Government’s commitments to its manifesto Back to Work Plan, and say tackling economic inactivity is central to the Government’s number one mission of growing the economy.

• New Work and Pensions Secretary today sets out how the Government’s Back to Work Plan is critical to growing the economy
• On a visit to Leeds with Ministerial team, Liz Kendall identifies tackling economic inactivity as top priority, saying Mayors and local areas will be in the driving seat of change
• Visit follows Chancellor’s speech earlier this week setting out immediate action to fix the foundations of the economy, rebuild Britain and make every part of the country better off

The visit comes days after the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, unveiled the Government’s first steps to securing sustained economic growth as the only route to improving the prosperity of the country and the living standards of working people.

Ms Kendall said rising levels of economic inactivity are unacceptable and that immediate action must be taken. 9.4 million people are now economically inactive, a record 2.8 million people are out of work due to long-term sickness, and 900,000 young people (1 in 8) are not in education, employment, and training.

On her first visit as Secretary of State, with the rest of the Ministerial team, Liz Kendall MP will confirm the three pillars of the Government’s Back to Work Plan:

• A new national jobs and career service to help get more people into work, and on in their work.
• New work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, led by Mayors and local areas.
• A youth guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall MP, said:

Growth is our number one mission and, as the Chancellor said, our Back to Work Plan is central to achieving our plans.

Economic inactivity is holding Britain back – it’s bad for people, it’s bad for businesses, and it’s bad for growth.

It’s not good enough that the UK is the only G7 country with employment not back to pre-pandemic levels.

It is time for change in every corner of the country.

We’ll create more good jobs, make work pay, transform skills, and overhaul jobcentres, alongside action to tackle the root causes of worklessness including poor physical and mental health.

Change delivered by local areas for local people, driving growth and delivering opportunity and prosperity to everyone, wherever they live.

Earlier this week the Health Secretary set out how cutting NHS waiting lists will get Britain back to health and back to work, and how by taking bold action on public health we can build the healthy society needed for a healthy economy.

Under the DWP’s plan, Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service will be merged to get more people into work and to support those seeking better opportunities with the means to find better paid work.

The Youth Guarantee will mean more opportunities for training, an apprenticeship or help to find work for all young people aged 18-21 years old, to prevent young people becoming excluded from the world of work at a young age.

More disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.

On their visit to Leeds today the DWP’s new ministerial team will visit a jobcentre to see first-hand how they’re supporting people with health conditions, and those aged 18 to 24 and over 50.

They will then be joined by Tracy Brabin, West Yorkshire Mayor. They will visit Smart Works – a charity who work to build the confidence of clients and help prepare for interviews by providing free clothing ahead of interviews.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 13 May 2024.

New rules meaning over 180,000 Universal Credit claimants will have to look for more work have come into force today (Monday 13 May), as the Government helps people progress in work and off welfare.

• Universal Credit claimants working less than half of a full-time week will have to look to increase their hours, benefitting from extra work coach support.
• 400,000 to receive more help to progress in work, as Mel Stride says “I want to help thousands of people on their journey off benefits”.
• Changes come as the PM announces once a generation welfare reforms to help people find work, boost their earnings, and grow the economy.

Before 2022, someone could work only nine hours a week and remain on benefits without being expected to look for more work.

The latest rise in the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) means someone working less than 18 hours – half of a full-time week – will have to look for more work.

These Universal Credit claimants will move into the ‘Intensive Work Search group’, meeting with their work coaches more regularly to plan their job progression, boost their earnings and advance the journey off welfare altogether.

Combined with previous increases, 400,000 claimants are now subject to more intensive Jobcentre support – and with that the expectation that those who can work must engage with the support available or face losing their benefits.

The move comes as last month the Prime Minister announced a once in a generation package of welfare reforms to help thousands more people benefit from employment, building on the Government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan providing extra help to over a million people to break down barriers to work.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Welfare should always be a safety net, and not a lifestyle choice which is why we’re ushering in a new era of welfare reforms to help more people progress off benefits and into work.

Today’s changes will help more people on Universal Credit move into well paid jobs and progress towards financial independence – which is better for them and for the economy.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP said:

We will always back those who want to work hard, and today we are radically expanding the support available to help people progress in work.

With the next generation of welfare reforms, I want to help thousands of people on their journey off benefits and towards financial independence.

Our plan is making work pay, with people in full-time work now £7,000 better off than on out of work benefits, and our tax cuts putting £900 back in the pockets of millions of workers across Britain.

The AET determines how much support an individual will receive to find work based on how much they currently earn and how many hours they work.

Together with the accelerated rollout of Universal Credit, even more claimants will benefit from the dedicated employment support offered through our Jobcentres like CV support and skills training, so people can take up better paid, higher quality jobs.

This builds on the significant steps already taken to break down barriers to work, with almost four million more people in employment compared to 2010.

The Government is clear those who can work to support themselves, should work, and they should feel better off for doing so.

That’s why the Government is getting tough, putting work at the heart of welfare and enforcing a stricter sanctions regime.

The PM recently announced a package of welfare reform measures, including exploring legislation to close the claims of those who don’t comply with conditions set by their Work Coach after 12 months.

With over 900,000 job vacancies in the economy, the Government makes no apologies for helping people achieve financial security through work, as we grow the economy and help people build a better life for themselves.

Further information:

• We amended Regulation 99 (6) of the UC Regulations 2013 to raise the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) to £892 per calendar month for individual claimants and £1473 per calendar month for couples on 6th May 2024, with the change being in force from 13th May 2024.
• With this change, individuals earning below £892 a month or £1,437 for couples – so working less than half of a full-time week – will have to meet more frequently with their work coach to up their earnings. This is up from £617 for individuals and £988 for couples.
• Previously, the Administrative Earnings Threshold was increased in September 2022 to 12 hours per week at the National Living Wage, and again in January 2023 to 15 hours per week.
• Impacted claimants will receive a message in their Universal Credit journal and are encouraged to talk to their work coach to understand what it means for them and the help on offer.
• As with previous increases, claimant commitments will be tailored to personal circumstances and will take into account caring responsibilities as well as any health conditions.

The press release issued by the Department of Work and Pensions on 8 May 2024.

A clampdown on parents who refuse to take financial responsibility for their children has been set out by the government today.

• Changes will make system fairer by speeding up enforcement action and getting money to children
• New action to detect non-paying parents proposed as part of shakeup of Child Maintenance Service.
• Work and Pension Secretary Mel Stride: We are clamping down on those who try to shirk their financial responsibilities

In a shakeup of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), the Department for Work and Pensions aims to improve the system so more children get the financial support they are due.

This includes ending the option of direct payments between parents through the CMS, meaning if parents do not pay it will be detected and enforcement action can be taken sooner.

It also asks what further support the CMS can provide to help separated parents make family-based arrangements, which are agreed by parents, without state intervention, and how the CMS can better support victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

The proposals come on the back of new laws which will fast track enforcement powers on wilfully non-paying parents including seizing cash and assets, forcing the sale of property and in the most serious cases, imprisonment – ensuring every child of separated parents is financially supported.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:

Most parents strive to give their children the best start in life, but sadly this isn’t always the case.

This is why we are clamping down on those who try to shirk their financial responsibilities. This and tough new laws will help ensure every child gets the financial support they deserve.

DWP Minister Viscount Younger of Leckie said:

The majority of parents want to do the right thing and support their children.

However, in the case of the minority of parents who fail to meet their responsibilities, avoiding paying what they owe, these plans along with new enforcement powers will enable us to act faster.

DWP’s proposals include:

• Stop the Direct Pay service and deal with all cases via Collect and Pay with CMS collecting and transferring all payments. This would allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster and, when necessary, take enforcement action more quickly.
• Exploring the best way to support family-based arrangements with an enhanced calculation tool, along with signposting to conflict resolution support.
• Asking how the CMS can better support victims of domestic or economic abuse, building on recommendations from Dr Samantha Callan’s 2023 Independent Review of the Child Maintenance Service.

This follows recent reforms to the liability order process, which will give the CMS more powers to recover money faster to crack down on parents who repeatedly fail to take financial responsibility for their children.

The Government has also removed the £20 application fee to use the CMS, making all applications to the CMS free, to ensure no child misses out on vital support.

Further information

• Our service is arranging more money than ever to support children of separated parents. In the 12 months to December 2023, the CMS arranged over £1.3 billion in child maintenance payments and in the quarter ending December 2023, managed 700,000 arrangements for 960,000 children.
• The consultation period begins on 08 May and runs until 31 July.  [LINK]
• Child maintenance payments from both CMS and family-based arrangements help to keep 160,000 children out of poverty each year
• 100,000 through non-statutory arrangements and 60,000 through the Child Maintenance Service.
• A minority of the maintenance arranged through the Child Maintenance Service is not paid.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 7 May 2024.

‘WorkWell’ pilots to provide tailored support for people in their local area so people can stay and progress in work.

• 15 areas including Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, and Cornwall to become part of new £64 million pilot to deliver joined-up work and health support
• Builds on welfare reform package to tackle inactivity as fit note process to be integrated with WorkWell

A new work and health support service will be rolled out across 15 areas of England as part of the Government’s plan to help people with health conditions back to work, the Work and Pensions Secretary has confirmed today (Tuesday 7 May).

The WorkWell pilots – launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) – will connect 59,000 people from October to local support services including physiotherapy and counselling so they can get the tailored help they need to stay in or return to work.

It comes after the Prime Minister announced a sweeping package of welfare reforms to modernise the benefit system and help thousands more people into work, including a review of fit notes to consider how to relieve pressure on GPs and deliver personalised work and health plans that prevent people from falling out of work and onto long-term sickness benefits.

The WorkWell service provides a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into both employment support and health services locally to help people manage their conditions and to identify workplace adjustments or support that would enable them to stay in work or return sooner.

Participants do not need to be claiming any Government benefits and will receive personalised support from a Work and Health Coach to understand their current health and social barriers to work and draw up a plan to help them overcome them. Evidence shows that work is an effective way to improve wellbeing – reducing the risk of depression, improving physical health, and building self-confidence and financial independence.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel Stride MP, said:

We are rolling out the next generation of welfare reforms so that thousands more people can gain all the benefits work brings.

Too many today are falling out of work in a spiral of sickness that harms their finances, their prospects and ultimately their health, where with the right workplace adjustments and help, this needn’t be the case.

And so we have designed WorkWell, a groundbreaking new service, that will for the first time integrate health and work advice at the local level, as part of our plan to stem the flow into economic inactivity, grow the economy, and change lives for the better.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins MP, said:

Too often, people with disabilities or poor health fall out of work with no support.

We have a plan to change that and improve lives so everyone has the opportunity to find fulfilling work. This service will help tens of thousands of people, who will receive joined-up work and health support, tailored to their individual needs.

This service, alongside a faster, simpler and fairer health service, will build a healthier workforce, and a stronger economy.

WorkWell is for anyone with a health condition or disability, including mental health conditions, who wants to work. It is a voluntary service, so people will be able to self-refer, or may be referred to WorkWell through their GP, employer or the community sector.

These professionals will also provide advice on workplace adjustments, such as flexible working or adaptive technology, facilitate conversations with employers on health needs, and provide access to local services such as physiotherapy, employment advice and counselling.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

It is fantastic that 15 ICSs can now start to get their WorkWell plans off the ground to provide more intensive, early-intervention support to their populations.

ICS leaders know that with the right support, people living with poor health and long-term conditions can find that good quality work helps prevent them from becoming more unwell. This helps people to live a fuller life, which in turn reduces pressure on health services.

It comes as latest figures show there are currently 2.8 million people who are ‘economically inactive’ due to long-term sickness, a near-record high. The fit note process is often the first step to someone falling out of work and into inactivity and data recently published by the NHS shows almost 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with an overwhelming 94% of those signed “not fit for work”.

A large proportion of these are repeat fit notes which are issued without any advice, resulting in a missed opportunity to help people get the appropriate support they may need to remain in work.

To address this, the Prime Minister announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do.

As part of the call for evidence, we are also testing reforms of the fit note process to integrate it more closely with WorkWell, enabling the people who need it to have a work and health conversation, with a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services.

Some WorkWell pilots are in areas of the country with some of the highest number of fit notes issued, like Greater Manchester and the Black Country where a combined total of over one million fit notes were issued last year.

We are also rolling out “fit note trailblazers” in some of the WorkWell pilot areas to ensure people who request a fit note have a work and health conversation and are signposted to local employment support services so they can remain in work. The trailblazers will trial better ways of triaging, signposting, and supporting people looking to receive a fit note and will be used to test a transformed process to help prevent people with long term health conditions falling out of work, including referral to support through their local WorkWell service.

This builds on the record £16 billion worth of mental health support we offered last year, as well an extra 384,000 people accessing NHS Talking Therapies as part of the Government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan. We are delivering the largest expansion in mental health services in a generation with almost £5 billion of extra funding over the past 5 years, and a near doubling of mental health training places to help cut waiting lists.

Covering a third of Integrated Care Boards across England, the success of the pilot will inform the possible future rollout of a national WorkWell service dedicated to stemming the flow of people falling out of work due to ill health where the right adjustments and support could prevent this.

This is a key part of the Government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan, to help up to 1.1 million people with long-term health conditions, disabilities and long-term unemployment to look for and stay in work. In addition to reforming the fit note process and expanding NHS Talking Therapies, the Back to Work Plan includes the launch of Universal Support to match 100,000 people to job vacancies, and expanding the Restart scheme to give people the skills they need to progress.

The Government’s wide-ranging welfare reforms also include changes to the Work Capability Assessment which are expected to reduce the number of people put onto the highest tier of incapacity benefits by 424,000 by 2028/29 – people who will now receive personalised support to prepare for work, while our Chance to Work Guarantee will mean people can try work without fear of losing their benefits.

There is a near record level of people on company payrolls, up by over 200,000 since last year, wages have risen for nine months in a row, and economic inactivity is still lower than in the US, France and Italy.

The rollout of Universal Credit will also be accelerated to move all those left on outdated legacy systems onto a simpler, more dynamic benefit system which eliminates a binary choice between work and welfare. And we will change the rules so that over 180,000 Universal Credit claimants will be given more frequent access to the expertise and guidance of work coaches, as a result of laying regulations to increase the Administrative Earnings Threshold.

Further Information

WorkWell pilots will take place within the following areas:

1. Birmingham and Solihull
2. Black Country
3. Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
4. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
5. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
6.  Coventry and Warwickshire
7. Frimley
8. Herefordshire and Worcestershire
9. Greater Manchester
10. Lancashire and South Cumbria
11. Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
12. North Central London
13. North West London
14. South Yorkshire
15. Surrey Heartlands

Each of the 15 WorkWell pilots will decide the exact support to be made available that’s best suited to the needs of their local area.

The total number of Fit Notes issued in each area last year:

Integrated Care Board	Total FN issued
(Jan – Dec 2023)
Birmingham and Solihull	334,072
Black Country	310,812
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire	191,192
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough	137,566
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly	95,934
Coventry and Warwickshire	243,508
Frimley	112,259
Herefordshire and Worcestershire	150,606
Greater Manchester	744,442
Lancashire and South Cumbria	455,436
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland	192,650
North Central London	262,733
North West London	348,112
South Yorkshire	322,958
Surrey Heartlands	130,341

An example WorkWell user journey:

• The user is employed but their chronic back pain and depression means that they have been signed off work and are considering stopping altogether, leaving them financially vulnerable.
• They are referred to WorkWell by their GP, employer, or local service.
• They meet with a Work and Health Coach for a work and health assessment to understand their health and social barriers to work and develop a plan to overcome them.
• They are signposted to in-house WorkWell services – four sessions with a physiotherapist, a meeting with a counsellor, and a meeting with a Human Resource Advisor for employment advice.
• Their plan also includes referrals to other relevant local services that will enable them to overcome their barriers to work. This includes training opportunities to help them explore new career opportunities; social prescription to a support group tackling loneliness; and speaking to Citizens Advice Bureau for financial advice.
• Thanks to their plan, they can remain in work and continue to meet with their WorkWell Work and Health Coach, who checks in on their progress and offers further work and health advice as needed.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 14 April 2024.

Reforms to occupational health services will be shaped through a £1.5m innovation fund, through Innovate UK’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), as the government continues its drive to tackle in work sickness and boost economic activity using new technology and artificial intelligence.

• Five projects to share £1.5 million funding to boost occupational health services for small and medium-sized businesses.
• Artificial intelligence and new technology at heart of revolution including expansion of remote services, digital health hubs, and Long Covid support.
• New support comes as inactivity due to long term sickness increases by 735,000 since the pandemic
• Occupational health reforms part of Government’s plan reduce economic inactivity by helping thousands more stay and succeed in work

Five projects will receive a share of this funding to develop new and innovative ways to improve occupational health services which will eventually be scaled-up and made available to small businesses to help them support their employees to stay in work.

One successful company, Kinseed Limited, is developing a revolutionary cloud-based occupational health platform aimed at offering employers’ powerful new tools to help maintain and improve employee health and wellbeing.

Their new service “MediWork” is breaking ground with AI and uses data to monitor individual health trends and identifies early warning signs of ill health. It will tailor suggestions to improve workplace wellbeing, and help clinicians do their job more effectively and quickly than before.

The new technology developed through the Fund will help unlock opportunities to improve people’s work and wellbeing as the government boosts health and employment support to drive down inactivity.

Minister for Employment, Jo Churchill MP, said:

Time off work due to sickness costs British business £100 billion every year. The innovative solutions developed through this funding will benefit businesses as we harness AI and technology to support a healthier and more productive workforce.

Delivering through our Back to Work Plan and Occupational Health Taskforce, we are driving down inactivity and helping people reach their potential both in work and their daily lives.

Pal Bhusate, Chief Executive Officer at Kinseed Limited, added:

We’re very excited to be working with cutting edge technology in AI and Cloud systems to keep people healthy and safe at work – and this fund has been absolutely critical in helping us do precisely that.

Supporting small and medium businesses in these areas is the only way that industries like ours can rapidly adapt to and get value from these incredible developments – and it’s brilliant to see such positive and active support from government to encourage that agility and innovation.

Before the pandemic, inactivity in the UK had fallen by over 850,000 and while it currently remains lower than G7, EU and OECD averages, many people including those from younger generations are out of work due to long term sickness, in large part been driven by mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

With long-term sickness now the main reason people of working-age give for being economically inactive, occupational health services can help employers provide in work support to manage their employees’ health conditions and reduce the number of those becoming inactive.

However, only 45% of workers in Britain have access to some form of occupational health, with an estimated 1.8 million workers reporting work-related ill health in 2022/23. That’s why the government is working with companies to develop new technology to better understand employee health, provide tailored support and tackle long-term sickness to help people stay and succeed in work.

We’ve introduced reforms to address this through the government’s new WorkWell service and £2.3 billion in extra mental health funding a year in England to ensure people can reach their potential and get the support they need to reap the financial, mental and physical benefits being in work has to offer.

The Occupational Health Innovation Fund and new Occupational Health Taskforce builds on this, and the government’s £2.5bn Back to Work Plan will support over a million people including those with mental health conditions to break down barriers to finding and staying work through the use of NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support, Restart and Universal Support programmes.

Minister for Health and Social Care, Helen Whately MP, commented:

Every year many thousands of people take time off work – or leave work altogether – because of ill health. But at the same time, there are millions of people who are working with health conditions, often supported by occupational health services.

We want more people to be able to benefit from occupational health support, particularly people working in smaller businesses or those who are self-employed. That’s why we’re investing in these innovative approaches to occupational health. This sits alongside our plans for WorkWell which will help people access support to stay in work, and our fit note reforms.

A healthy economy depends on a healthy workforce. Making sure people can be healthy and stay in work is crucial for individuals, businesses and our country as a whole.

Another organisation, Armour Labs Limited, is building a digital health hub for SME’s and the self-employed to reduce the cost of access to occupational health services.

They will partner with digital healthcare providers and merge these services into health plans for UK employees which they can access through an online portal and future mobile app to help make Occupational Health support more accessible and efficient than ever.

Aleezay Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Armour Labs Ltd, added:

Armour Labs is building the digital marketplace for employers to procure and deploy Occupational Health services that cater to their workforce’s diverse and individual needs.

Through the support of this Fund, we are now in the process of testing and rolling out our solution in the market which we expect will make Occupational Health not only more accessible and affordable for businesses, but also reduce ill health related absenteeism by 30%.

In February, the government launched a new Occupational Health Taskforce, led by Dame Carol Black, to improve employer awareness of the benefits of Occupational Health in the workplace.

The Taskforce is developing an occupational health framework to help businesses prevent sickness-related job loss and support employees returning to work after illness. The voluntary framework is expected to be published this summer.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 10 April 2024.

Parents on Universal Credit can now receive up to £1,311 more a year in childcare support following a 6.7% boost coming into effect, as the government’s expansion of free childcare for working parents delivers 150,000 places in a week.

• Parents receiving Universal Credit to receive significant boost to childcare support.
• Increased support means parents who are keen to get back to work can now claim up to £109 more a month to help cover childcare costs.
• Comes as government hits its target of ensuring 150,000 children gain childcare places from the new rollout.

As of Monday 8 April, parents on Universal Credit with one child under 17 will be able to claim up to £1,015 a month, with parents of two children or more eligible for up to £1,739 to help pay for childcare costs – up from £950 and £1,630 respectively.

The increase in support will help even more parents into work at a time when vacancies remain high, wages are rising faster than inflation, and taxes are being cut for 29 million hardworking people.

The announcement comes as part of a huge package of support for working parents, including the expansion of 15 hours of free childcare a week for eligible working parents of two-year-olds for the first time.

Over 150,000 two-year-olds are confirmed to have places for 15 hours a week of free childcare as of Friday, surpassing the take-up expectation set for early April. Thousands more places will continue to be secured over the coming weeks.

Up to 85% of childcare costs of parents on Universal Credit are covered thanks to support from the Department for Work and Pensions, which has increased since last summer by £368 for parents of one child, and £631 for parents with two or more.

The announcement is part of the government’s long-term plan to give working families a brighter future, by ensuring the cost of childcare is no longer a barrier for parents who want to work.

Helping parents into work is one of the best ways to drive down the number of children living in poverty, as children living in workless households are over six times more likely to be in absolute poverty than children in a house where all the adults work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:

This big boost to childcare support will help even more parents step into the world of work and secure long-term financial security.

We are delivering on our plan to get people into jobs, as we cut taxes, drive down inflation, and put money back into the pockets of hardworking families.

When fully rolled out, eligible working parents, including those on Universal Credit, will receive 30 hours of free childcare from the end of maternity leave to when their child starts school. Parents taking up the full 30 hours will save an average of £6,900 per year on childcare costs.

We are taking significant steps to ensure the childcare sector is prepared to deliver this rollout, including a £100 million capital investment for more places, much higher average government funding rates than the average market rates paid by parents for the new entitlements, and a significant national recruitment campaign and £1000 cash incentive for new joiners to the sector.

In 2024-25 alone, we expect to provide over £1.7 billion to support local authorities and providers deliver the expansion to the early years entitlements.

On top of this, almost half a million families are set to benefit from our changes to the High-Income Child Benefit Charge, taking 170,000 families out of paying the High-Income Child Benefit Charge altogether with families gaining an average of £1,260 from these changes.

This includes raising the threshold for the High-Income Child Benefit Charge from £50,000 to £60,000 as well as halving the rate so that it is not paid in full until an individual earns over £80,000. We will also end the unfairness for single earner families by moving towards a household system.

As well  this boost for parents, the £2.5bn Back to Work plan will help over a million long term unemployed, sick and disabled people break down barriers to work, with the Chance to work Guarantee freeing up claimants to try work with no fear of losing their benefits.

This comes alongside the huge amount of support offered by Jobcentres to people of all backgrounds. From upskilling, interview support and finding apprenticeships, whether you’re looking for a new career or just starting in the world of work, Jobcentres across the country can give you the tools you need to start, stay and succeed in work.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 10 April 2024.

A group who stole over £50 million of taxpayers’ money has been brought to justice in the largest ever benefit fraud case in England and Wales.

• Five people who stole £53.9 million through fabricated benefit claims have been brought to justice in England and Wales’ largest benefit fraud case
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) investigators, working with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), caught the fraudsters after extensive investigation
• Convictions come as the DWP saved at least £18 billion in 2022/23

Five people have pleaded guilty to numerous charges involving creating false Universal Credit claims worth £53,901,959.82.

DWP investigators worked to track and catch the fraudsters, gathering extensive evidence of false tenancy agreements and shell companies created to show false employment claims, including counterfeit payslips and GP notes. The group also created many false identity documents.

The courts will now proceed with sentencing the defendants as the DWP and CPS work to recover the money stolen.

Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP, said:

I am immensely proud of DWP investigators’ work, in collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service, to take down this organised crime group.

Building on our success in preventing £18 billion going into the wrong hands in 2022/23, these convictions underline our commitment to protecting taxpayers’ money. It is only right and fair that we bring those stealing from the public purse to justice.

Minister responsible for tackling benefit fraud, Paul Maynard MP, added:

Our investigators are working tirelessly to catch benefit cheats and this case builds upon our plan to save £1.3 billion on fraud and error.

At the same time, our Fraud Plan will help us implement a long-term strategy to minimise fraud and error and ensure value and fairness for the taxpayer.

Ben Reid, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said:

This case is the largest benefit fraud prosecution ever brought to the courts in England and Wales.

This was a complex and challenging case which required close and effective working between CPS prosecutors, the Department for Work and Pensions and our international partners in both Bulgaria and through the UK desk at Eurojust, to dismantle and successfully prosecute the organised crime group. The guilty pleas entered by all five defendants, reflects the strength of the evidence against them.

The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division will now pursue confiscation proceedings against the defendants, to remove from them any available criminal benefit from this enterprise.

The defendants who have pleaded guilty at Wood Green Crown Court were: Galina Nikolova, 38; Stoyan Stoyanov, 27; Tsvetka Todorova, 52, Gyunesh Ali, 33, and Patritsia Paneva, 26. All defendants are of Bulgarian nationality.

The defendants laundered money from the false benefit claims and sent incriminating WhatsApp messages that shared forged documents.

Investigators also found “claim packs” at the houses of defendants, which were created for others to make false benefit claims and included false documents such as bank statements, fake photographic identification, and forged information on dependants.

Additional items seized included bundles of cash stuffed into shopping bags and suitcases, designer goods such as watches, jackets and glasses, and a luxury car.

This latest case comes as the government continues to turn the tide on benefit cheats. DWP’s Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System plan, backed by £900 million over three years, bolsters the counter-fraud frontline with measures including trained specialists to review millions of Universal Credit claims.

This counter fraud clampdown, together with wider benefit checks and controls, saved at least £18 billion in 2022/23 and saw fraud and error fall by 10 percent.

DWP is now pushing to go further with a target to save the taxpayer £1.3 billion through counter fraud and error in 2023/24.

Additional Information:

• In 2022, the DWP launched a plan to further tackle fraud and error in the benefits system. The Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System plan, backed by £900 million over three years, bolsters the counter-fraud frontline with measures including trained specialists to review millions of Universal Credit claims.
• The Government is legislating for new fraud powers. These will allow the DWP to request data from third parties, such as banks, that could show signals of potential benefit fraud and error.
• The Third-Party Data amendment DWP have included in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will modernise and strengthen DWP’s powers to tackle the evolving threat of fraud in the digital age.
• The new powers that the Government is legislating for will not allow DWP to access bank accounts, or see how benefit claimants spend their money, as third parties will only provide the minimum amount of information required.
• DWP will only receive information on cases where potential fraud or error has been flagged and will save the taxpayer up to £600million over the next five years.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 9 April 2024.

Half a million people claiming old benefits will be invited to claim Universal Credit, unlocking all the work support it offers.

• Expansion of move to Universal Credit will help 500,000 more people unlock the employment support on offer.
• Letters will be sent to people on certain benefits notifying them of the action they need to take.
• People on Universal Credit are more likely to have a job within six months of making a claim.

More than 130,000 people have already successfully switched from tax credits to the modern digital Universal Credit system which allows claimants to access their benefits more easily and amend their claim should their circumstances change.

The expansion this year will continue for people claiming:

• Income Support and Tax Credits with Housing Benefit from April
• Housing Benefit only from June
• ESA (Income Based) with Child Tax Credit from July
• Tax Credits (Pension Aged including mixed aged couples) from August
• JSA (Income Based) from September

Universal Credit helps people move closer to work and greater financial security through a range of support – including training placements and upskilling – as well as tailored support from a dedicated Work Coach.

Recent findings have shown Universal Credit claimants are more likely to be in work within six months of making a claim.

The move comes as the DWP’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan is set to help over a million people, including those with disabilities and long-term health conditions to break down barriers to work.

Minister for Employment, Jo Churchill MP said:

Universal Credit is a proven benefits system fit for the modern age.

With even more people moving to Universal Credit, we can continue to provide the best level of support for people to secure financial independence through work.

I would encourage all those who receive their Migration Notices to take action to ensure they continue to receive the benefits they are entitled to.

By moving to Universal Credit, benefit claimants, including those with limited work requirements, will be able to access to a range of employment support.

We know one in five people currently on the highest tier of incapacity benefits with no work preparation requirement, would like to work in the future with the right support. We’re helping them do this not just though Universal Credit, but with specialist employment support, record levels of mental health provision and the Chance to Work Guarantee, meaning millions can try work free from the fear that they could lose their benefits.

Recent data shows working age adults living in workless households are around seven times more likely to be in absolute poverty than those in households where all adults work, while children living in workless households are six times more likely than those where all adults work.

Benefit claimants will not lose out financially when moving to Universal Credit. Where an individual’s entitlement to Universal Credit is lower than their legacy benefit entitlement, they will be entitled to a top-up payment known as Transitional Protection. This ensures that their Universal Credit is the same as their legacy benefit entitlement.

People will soon start to receive letters – known as Migration Notices – asking them to move to Universal Credit. Recipients who don’t act within three months risk losing their current benefit entitlements.

Additional support is available through a dedicated helpline for claimants who receive a Migration Notices, via face-to-face support in local Jobcentres and independent support through Help to Claim, delivered by Citizens Advice while extensions can be arranged for those who need more time to make a claim.

Paul from Ashington is one of thousands of claimants who has already successfully made the move and benefited from the support provided to help make the move.

Paul said:

I was so worried about having to move to Universal Credit, because I thought I would be pushed into a job search I didn’t feel comfortable or ready for. The move has been made easy because of the support and help I received from my Work Coach, Pauline.

Moving to Universal Credit has been so much easier than I expected. I’ve been able to keep on top of my payments and I’m now closer than ever to finding work!

The expansion of Universal Credit comes as part of the Government’s plan to make sure work always pays, with a huge boost to the National Living Wage and tax cuts worth an average of £900 for 29 million hardworking people.

Additional Information

• Migration Notices will be issued to all legacy benefit types, apart from ESA claimants, over the next six months.
• Evidence to date shows that most Tax Credit claimants have been able to claim Universal Credit without the need for additional support.
• Since the resumption of Managed Migration some claimants have naturally moved to Universal Credit following a change in their circumstances and claimants have always been able to make a claim for Universal Credit if they wish to do so.
• The DWP has recently launched a Move to UC advertising campaign to notify legacy benefit claimants of the need to make a claim to Universal Credit which includes print, radio, and online advertising.
• Claimants can claim Universal Credit directly online or via the dedicated Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline for free on 0800 169 0328 or by visiting your local jobcentre. Claimants that require more time to claim can also call DWP for free on 0800 169 0328.
• For claimants requiring additional support to complete their application support is available including through Citizens Advice Help to Claim for those living in England or Wales and Citizens Advice Scotland Help to Claim for those living in Scotland, which delivers step by step support to complete a UC claim.