Select committee: Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 9
5th Report - Get Britain Working: Creating a new jobs and careers service
Published 11 Sep 2025
Addressed to Department for Work and Pensions
Work and Pensions Committee Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
In its response to this inquiry, the Government should provide clarity on: • the accountability arrangements for its new jobs and careers service and for adult careers services generally, including any joint arrangements between DfE and DWP; • the planned arrangements for the jobs and careers service in Scotland and Wales, where careers support is a devolved matter, including how it will ensure consistency across Great Britain and avoid duplication in devolved settings; and 19 • any eligibility criteria for accessing careers support through the new jobs and careers service, including age limits. (Recommendation, Paragraph 44)
From: Work and Pensions Committee, 5th Report - Get Britain Working: Creating a new jobs and careers service (HC 1286), 11 September 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 14 November 2025 (deadline 11 November 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government accepts most of the Committee's recommendations on careers advice, but does not accept the call for a separate adult careers guidance strategy.
- On a separate adult careers guidance strategy, the government says it "agree[s]" on the need for a coherent approach but "Do not accept" a separate strategy, as it "could risk our integrated Jobs and Careers Service vision". It says it "may" consider a Jobs and Careers Service strategy.
- It accepts the funding recommendation: current National Careers Service contracts expire on 30 September 2026, after which adult careers advice in England will be brought "in house into DWP", ending the incentivised funding model.
- On performance measures it "partially accept[s]", saying its evaluation strategy is "under development" and will be shared with the Committee "in due course".
- It accepts the call for a transition plan, saying a detailed plan "will be published within the next six months" and that DWP is "committed to working with NCS contractors, employees and unions".