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Select Committee · Work and Pensions Committee

Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres

Status: Closed Opened: 23 Jan 2025 Closed: 1 Jan 2026 24 recommendations 17 conclusions 2 reports

The Work and Pension Committee is conducting an inquiry into Jobcentres, the first in a series of inquiries in response to the Government’s Get Britain Working White Paper . The Government wants to increase employment and to help achieve this, it plans to reform Jobcentres, which it says are too focused on monitoring benefit compliance. … Show more

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Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
5th Report - Get Britain Working: Creating a new jobs and c… HC 1286 11 Sep 2025 10 Responded
4th Report – Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres HC 653 8 Sep 2025 31 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
21 Conclusion 4th Report – Get Britain Working: Refor… Rejected

Any job' approach has alienated employers and undermined Jobcentre engagement efforts.

The ‘any job’ approach has not just been detrimental to claimants: it has also led employers to stop engaging with Jobcentres. Employers will use Jobcentres if it helps them find good employees, but their experience of Jobcentre candidates is often of people forced to apply just to meet benefit conditions. … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the conclusion that the 'any job' approach is detrimental, explaining the 'permitted period' policy for job search. While noting a shift away from 'any job' ethos in new services, they do not accept the recommendation at this time but will keep the …
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Department for Work and Pensions
2 Recommendation 5th Report - Get Britain Working: Creat… Rejected

Develop a coherent strategy for adult careers guidance based on needs assessment and audit.

DWP and DfE should work together to develop a strategy for adult careers guidance. This should be based on an audit of the current career offerings and an assessment of the population’s needs. It should provide an overarching framework and objectives for any careers-related initiatives to follow. The strategy should … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government explicitly rejects the recommendation, stating that following the transfer of adult careers responsibility to DWP, a separate careers guidance strategy would risk their integrated Jobs and Careers Service vision. They confirm extensive prior research and will consider a broader Jobs and Careers Service …
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Department for Work and Pensions

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
11 Jun 2025 Alison McGovern MP · Department for Work and Pensions, David Barrow · Department for Work and Pensions, Ed Lidington · Ministry of Justice View ↗
23 Apr 2025 Abdi Mohamed · Scope, Andrew McGregor · UNISON, Angela Grant · PCS, Balbir Kaur Chatrik · Centrepoint, Liz Sewell · Belina Grow, Martin Cavanagh · PCS, Sam Reid · Migrant Help View ↗
1 Apr 2025 Idowu Khadijat Morafa · Across Ummah CIC, Jo Rowlands · Leeds City Council, Jo Volpe · Leeds Older People’s Forum, Lauren McKechnie · Age UK Bolton, Paul McGarry · Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Ageing Hub, Rt Hon Andy Burnham · Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Sue Forster · Citizens Advice Liverpool, Trish Martin · Southway Housing View ↗
12 Mar 2025 Becci Newton · Institute for Employment Studies, Elizabeth Taylor · Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), Jane Gratton · British Chambers of Commerce, Professor Peter Robertson · Edinburgh Napier University, Ramesh Moher · New Challenge, Saira Hussain · Federation of Small Businesses View ↗

Who gave evidence

24 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Abdi Mohamed · Head of Policy, Campaigns and Public Affairs Scope 1
Alison McGovern MP · Minister for Employment Department for Work and Pensions 1
Andrew McGregor · Chair of Careers Forum UNISON 1
Angela Grant · PCS DWP President PCS 1
Balbir Kaur Chatrik · Director of Policy and Communications Centrepoint 1
Becci Newton · Director of Public Policy and Research Institute for Employment Studies 1
David Barrow · Director, Jobs & Career’s Service Department for Work and Pensions 1
Ed Lidington · Director, Courts, Criminal and Family Justice Dir… Ministry of Justice 1
Elizabeth Taylor · Chief Executive Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) 1
Idowu Khadijat Morafa · Founder and Director Across Ummah CIC 1
Jane Gratton · Head of People Policy British Chambers of Commerce 1
Jo Rowlands · Head of Financial Inclusion Leeds City Council 1
Jo Volpe · Chief Executive Leeds Older People’s Forum 1
Lauren McKechnie · Chief Executive Age UK Bolton 1
Liz Sewell · Director Belina Grow 1
Martin Cavanagh · PCS President PCS 1
Paul McGarry · Head Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Ageing Hub 1
Professor Peter Robertson · Professor Edinburgh Napier University 1
Ramesh Moher · Director New Challenge 1
Rt Hon Andy Burnham · Mayor Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) 1
Saira Hussain · Employment Policy Champion Federation of Small Businesses 1
Sam Reid · Research Manager Migrant Help 1
Sue Forster · Welfare Benefits Coordinator Citizens Advice Liverpool 1
Trish Martin · Advice Services Manager Southway Housing 1

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
12 Nov 2025 — Correspondence from the Secretary of State, relating to the launch of a Report …
3 Sep 2025 To cttee Further letter from the Minister for Employment, responding to the Committee's …
3 Sep 2025 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Employment, responding to the Committee's letter f…
3 Sep 2025 From cttee Letter to the Minister for Employment, following up on the evidence session the…