Work and welfare overhaul to get more people back into employment

Somewhat overshadowed by the Budget, an announcement made earlier in the week by Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, could have a significant impact on the current high levels of inactivity due to ill health.

The UK remains the only G7 country that has higher levels of economic inactivity than before the pandemic, with 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness.

The Chancellor has therefore decided to invest £240 million in a Get Britain Working package, which will boost the rollout of “trailblazers” in local areas to bring together and streamline work, health and skills support to disabled people and those who are long-term sick.

“Due to years of economic neglect,” Ms Reeves said, “the benefits bill is ballooning. We will build a Britain where people who can work, will work, turning the page on the recent rise in economic inactivity and decline and towards a future where people have good jobs and our benefits bill is under control.”

The trailblazers will, she explained, focus on reaching people who are not normally in touch with the system, enabling local areas to help them access existing support, but also testing new early interventions targeted at the specific barriers they are facing when it comes to getting into work.

This latest initiative comes ahead of the Get Britain Working White Paper, set to be unveiled later in the autumn, which will set out the Government’s ambitious plans for reform to break down barriers to work.

It has been welcomed by Ben Willmott, Head of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the CIPD, who pointed out that the trailblazers will need to ensure there is effective brokerage and relationship building with employers to ensure people have access to jobs that give them the flexibility, skills development opportunities and support they need to get into, and stay in, employment.

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