Recommendation 18

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.