Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Deferred
Previous 'ABC' employment support approach has failed to deliver sustainable work or good outcomes.
Conclusion
The previous Government’s ‘ABC’ approach to employment support (any job, better job, career) has not worked. While it may move people off benefits in the short-term, it all too often does not lead to long-term, sustainable employment and exacerbates the low-pay, no-pay cycle. This is not a good outcome for claimants, employers or the taxpayer. We are pleased to hear that DWP will no longer force people into ‘any job’ available, with support 55 instead to focus on building rewarding careers. DWP must now match its aspiration with action. DWP will need to be open to the fact that finding good jobs may initially involve people spending longer on out-of-work benefits, but it will deliver better value for money in the long-term, with them less likely to return to benefits in the future. (Conclusion, Paragraph 91)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government committed to developing and testing a Flexible Delivery Network model, including mobile delivery vans in three geographies and a toolkit for community-based support, to address economic inactivity. However, it did not explicitly address the committee's call to move away from an 'any job' approach towards encouraging 'good jobs' even if it means longer periods on benefits.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Accept The department has completed an internal review of the Claimant Commitment and from this we have developed a draft policy framework that aims to move the focus from compliance checking to genuine personalised employment support. We are now testing a two-stage approach to the meetings setting Claimant Commitments: the first meeting focuses on benefits, labour market requirements, and consequences; the second centres on employment and skills. This gives claimants greater opportunity to shape their path into suitable work, not just any job, with agreed actions reflecting their capabilities, circumstances, skills, aspirations, and the local labour market. The personalised Claimant Commitment process and work plan will place emphasis on what the claimant intends to do and how those actions will help them progress. To support this transformation, we are developing the Work Coach Academy, which will enhance the skills and capabilities of our work coaches to deliver high-quality, personalised support. This includes training in Trauma Informed Approaches, embedded in both service design and delivery, and incorporated into our Coaching Academy to ensure a person- centred service. These reforms are in the early stages of development and testing. We are committed to gathering feedback from both claimants and work coaches to inform future policy development. Once initial findings are available, we will review the approach and determine the next steps. We accept this recommendation. Through delivering personalised employment support, we are moving away from the “any job” approach and towards a model that encourages claimants to pursue employment that is right for them, supports long-term financial independence and contributes to the prosperity of the wider labour market.
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