Recommendations & Conclusions
17 items
2
Recommendation
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
We are concerned that the Department will continue to not have enough work coaches to meet the growing demand for support. The shortage of work coaches has been caused by the Department securing inadequate funding from HM Treasury and by recruitment and retention challenges. Looking ahead, the demand for work …
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We are concerned that the Department will continue to not have enough work coaches to meet the growing demand for support. The shortage of work coaches has been caused by the Department securing inadequate funding from HM Treasury and by recruitment and retention challenges. Looking ahead, the demand for work coach support is expected to continue to increase and claimants’ needs are expected to become more complex. The proposals for reform set out in the November 2024 white paper and the March 2025 green paper have significant implications for jobcentres. 4 They include setting up a new jobs and careers service as a universal service not just support for benefit recipients, and providing tailored employment, health and skills support for claimants with a work-limiting health condition or disability. The Department envisages a ‘pyramid’ of support where many people will be able to access and self-serve using digital services, what it called a ‘jobcentre in your pocket’. It foresees that this will help to free up jobcentre resources to provide face-to-face support to those who need it. However, the Department acknowledges that redeploying 1,000 work coaches in 2025–26, to provide intensive support to around 65,000 people with health conditions and disabilities, will reduce the support available for other Universal Credit claimants. recommendation The Department should develop a workforce plan within twelve months and as part of its work to design and set up the new jobs and careers service. The plan should include details of the steps that the Department will take to make sure it has enough work coaches to provide face-to-face support to people who need it.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and commits to developing a strategic workforce plan within 12 months as part of the Jobs and Careers Service Programme, which will anticipate workforce needs and ensure appropriate work coach resourcing.
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HM Treasury
4
Recommendation
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
The Department has not evaluated the effectiveness of its approach to supporting claimants to work for a decade. The Department does not have an up-to-date evidence base from which to assess the suitability of its current approach to supporting claimants to work. Its most recent evaluation is from 2015, before …
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The Department has not evaluated the effectiveness of its approach to supporting claimants to work for a decade. The Department does not have an up-to-date evidence base from which to assess the suitability of its current approach to supporting claimants to work. Its most recent evaluation is from 2015, before Universal Credit was rolled out. The Department considers it to be challenging to develop a new evidence base using randomised control trials, which it describes as the gold standard, bearing in mind how long it takes to carry out the trials and get the results. It is currently assessing alternative arrangements for delivering its services, where possible using randomised control trials. Specifically, it is testing using video and other channels rather than face-to-face communication, and reducing the frequency of work coaches’ engagement with claimants. It expects the results of these trials to be available between June 2025 and November 2026. The Department is also comparing and contrasting the evidence that it gathers over shorter time periods – for example, it is using its core support model in one place and a different approach in another place thereby creating groups of claimants that it can compare. It wants to get test results quickly in order to help develop the new jobs and careers service. recommendation The Department should, within six months, publish its strategy for evaluating the impact of its reforms to the employment support system and for refreshing its evidence base regularly.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented, pointing to its recently published Evidence and Evaluation Strategy 2025. It details ongoing Universal Credit trials with findings due by the end of 2026, and an evaluation strategy for the Jobs and Careers Service is under …
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HM Treasury
5
Recommendation
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
It is not fully clear how the Department is spending the £55 million allocated for 2025–26 to test elements of the new jobs and careers service. In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the government allocated £55 million for the Department to invest in developing and testing elements of the jobs and …
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It is not fully clear how the Department is spending the £55 million allocated for 2025–26 to test elements of the new jobs and careers service. In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the government allocated £55 million for the Department to invest in developing and testing elements of the jobs and careers service in 2025–26. The Department is spending some of this money on a coaching academy to upskill its work coaches, on ‘pathfinder projects’ in some parts of the country and on developing digital services, but has not yet allocated all of the £55 million. The Department says that funding is available for good proposals coming forward from different parts of the organisation. But it did not indicate how much of the £55 million has so far been committed and how much is left to be allocated. We are now several months into the financial year so it is important that the Department works out quickly how to make best use of the funding, rather than making rushed decisions at the last minute. recommendation Alongside its Treasury Minute response, the Department should write to us setting out how much of the £55 million has been committed and what its plans are for using the remainder of the money. 6
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and confirms the recommendation is implemented, providing a detailed breakdown of how the £55 million for 2025-26 has been allocated across tests and trials (£15m), alternative delivery solutions (£5m), digital activity (£20m), and resources/staffing (£13m, including a £2m contingency).
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HM Treasury
9
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
In November 2024, the government published its Get Britain Working white paper that set out plans for reforming employment support including a new jobs and careers service, bringing together jobcentres with the National Careers Service in England. The Department aims to create a universal service that will provide support for …
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In November 2024, the government published its Get Britain Working white paper that set out plans for reforming employment support including a new jobs and careers service, bringing together jobcentres with the National Careers Service in England. The Department aims to create a universal service that will provide support for anyone who is looking to work, to get on in work, change career or retrain, not just claimants by 2028–29.17 This includes customers who do not use the jobcentre at the moment, including people with health conditions and people who are not on benefits at all but who need help finding a job.18
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented, detailing specific funding allocations for 2025-26, including £15 million for tests and trials and £20 million for digital activity, to design and test the new Jobs and Careers Service.
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HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
In March 2025, the government published a green paper, Pathways to Work, which set out proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support, with the aim of providing tailored employment, health and skills support for claimants with a work-limiting health condition or disability.21 The Department plans to redeploy …
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In March 2025, the government published a green paper, Pathways to Work, which set out proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support, with the aim of providing tailored employment, health and skills support for claimants with a work-limiting health condition or disability.21 The Department plans to redeploy 1,000 existing work coaches in 2025–26 to provide intensive employment support to around 65,000 people with health conditions and disabilities.22 We asked the Department to what extent will the redeployment of 1,000 work coaches result in a further reduction in support available for other Universal Credit claimants. The Department acknowledged that the redeployment does do that.23 The impact of reductions in work coach support
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Government response AI summary
The government states that its Pathways to Work green paper and Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by significant funding, will support employment for people with health conditions and disabilities. It will publish annual progress updates against intermediate metrics, with the first update in Autumn …
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HM Treasury
12
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
To help deal with the shortfall in work coaches, the Department allows jobcentres that are under the most pressure in terms of work coaches’ caseload to reduce the support they provide for claimants. In September 2023, the Department introduced a local flexibility framework which sets out five measures that jobcentres …
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To help deal with the shortfall in work coaches, the Department allows jobcentres that are under the most pressure in terms of work coaches’ caseload to reduce the support they provide for claimants. In September 2023, the Department introduced a local flexibility framework which sets out five measures that jobcentres can implement in order. For example, the first measure involves shortening the initial meeting with claimants from 50 to 30 minutes and the second measure is to reduce the frequency with which some claimants meet a work coach from weekly or fortnightly to monthly. The Department allows jobcentres to implement measures in the framework if their work coaches have a caseload of more than 110 cases and this position is forecast to continue for at least three months. From September 2023 to November 2024, more than half (57%) of jobcentres used the framework at some point to reduce the support they provide to claimants to help manage their workload.24
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Government response AI summary
The government has made certain elements of the local flexibility framework permanent as part of a revised approach to resourcing, providing detailed evidence to the Committee for these changes and considering the recommendation implemented.
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HM Treasury
13
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
We asked the Department how concerned we should be that over half of jobcentres have had to reduce their support for Universal Credit claimants due to the shortage of work coaches. The Department told us that we should not be concerned because, where there are not enough 20 Letter from …
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We asked the Department how concerned we should be that over half of jobcentres have had to reduce their support for Universal Credit claimants due to the shortage of work coaches. The Department told us that we should not be concerned because, where there are not enough 20 Letter from the Department for Work and Pensions, 29 May 21 The Department for Work and Pensions, Pathways to Work, CP 1297, March 2025 22 The Department for Work and Pensions, Government bolsters employment support to unlock work for sick and disabled people, 06 March 2025 23 Q 63 24 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.17-2.20 11 work coaches, it has reduced the frequency of interventions in areas that it thinks make the least difference to outcomes, primarily the outcomes about getting people into work.25 The Department also told us that the impact that the reduction in support has had on claimants has been minimised because the flexibility framework preserves the core support and only focuses on activities that do not impact getting people into work. The Department referred to an evidence base to support that assertion but did not explain what that was.26 The most recent evidence for its central support model dates from 2015 and so did not cover Universal Credit claimants, which the Department rolled out for new claims nationwide in 2018.27
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Government response AI summary
The government has made certain elements of the local flexibility framework permanent, stating this new approach ensures claimants have the right support and providing evidence to the Committee for these changes, thereby considering the recommendation implemented.
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HM Treasury
14
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
However, the Department also told us that it was concerned about the into-work rate, which has been declining since 2021–22.28 The rate increased to 9.7% in 2021–22, but declined in the following two years, to 8.2% in 2023–24. The Department said that external factors, like the labour market and the …
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However, the Department also told us that it was concerned about the into-work rate, which has been declining since 2021–22.28 The rate increased to 9.7% in 2021–22, but declined in the following two years, to 8.2% in 2023–24. The Department said that external factors, like the labour market and the fall in the number of vacancies, are were making it more difficult and leading to a reduction in into-work rates.29 It also said that work coaches are seeing a more complex caseload, with customers who are further away from the labour market.30
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented, outlining its existing "Get Britain Working White Paper" roadmap, "Pathways to Work" funding, and wider cross-government initiatives to achieve an 80% employment rate and improve into-work rates.
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HM Treasury
15
Recommendation
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
The Department said that, even when implementing all the measures up to level five of its flexibility framework, including to meet all Intensive Work Search claimants fortnightly after 13 weeks rather than some of them weekly, its work coaches can still have quality conversations with claimants and achieve the same …
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The Department said that, even when implementing all the measures up to level five of its flexibility framework, including to meet all Intensive Work Search claimants fortnightly after 13 weeks rather than some of them weekly, its work coaches can still have quality conversations with claimants and achieve the same outcomes.31 However, in written evidence, third sector organisations raised concerns with us about the quality and consistency of support offered at jobcentres. Child Poverty Action Group and Changing Realities told us it has evidence that parents and carers using jobcentre services often do not receive the quantity or quality of support that they need.32 Education Development Trust stated that appointments with work coaches only last ten minutes which limits building lasting relationships and trust with claimants.33 25 Q 17 26 Qq 20, 21 27 C&AG’s Report, paras 8, 1.13 28 The into-work rate measures, based on earnings, the proportion of Universal Credit claimants in the Intensive Work Search category who move into work each month, having not been in work in the previous month. 29 Q 47; C&AG’s Report, para 15 30 Q 50 31 Q 21 32 JOB0003 33 JOB0001 12
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented, referencing prior letters that detailed a revised approach to work coach resourcing and priorities, including making elements of the local flexibility framework permanent.
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HM Treasury
16
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
The Department is examining whether some of the measures in the local flexibility framework could be made permanent to help manage demand pressures without adversely affecting outcomes for claimants.34 We asked the Department what measures could be made permanent and when. It said it would see what the impact of …
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The Department is examining whether some of the measures in the local flexibility framework could be made permanent to help manage demand pressures without adversely affecting outcomes for claimants.34 We asked the Department what measures could be made permanent and when. It said it would see what the impact of putting the measures in place is, it could then take a view about whether it wants to keep them in future.35 34 C&AG’s Report, para 2.21, Q 19 35 Q 24 13 2 Jobcentre performance The lack of public data on local jobcentre performance
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Government response AI summary
The government states it has made certain elements of the local flexibility framework permanent as part of a revised approach to resourcing levels and priorities. It has provided the Committee with detailed evidence for these changes and considers the recommendation implemented.
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HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
In terms of the performance of jobcentres over time, the average monthly into-work rate reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic from 8.8% in 2018–19 to 7.2% in 2020–21. The rate then increased to 9.7% in 2021–22, but declined in the following two years, to 8.2% in 2023–24.38 There is substantial variation …
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In terms of the performance of jobcentres over time, the average monthly into-work rate reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic from 8.8% in 2018–19 to 7.2% in 2020–21. The rate then increased to 9.7% in 2021–22, but declined in the following two years, to 8.2% in 2023–24.38 There is substantial variation in performance across the Department’s seven jobcentre regions and 37 districts. At regional level, in the 12 months from December 2023 to November 2024, Southern England had the highest average monthly proportion of Universal Credit claimants moving into work (8.7%) while London and Essex had the lowest proportion (7.3%). At district level, Birmingham and Solihull had the lowest average monthly into-work rate at 5.5% and Northern Scotland had the highest at 10.8%.39
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and commits to developing a labour market publication strategy before the end of 2025, which will include publishing into-work rates and some labour market data at a Jobcentre Plus District level to enhance transparency.
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HM Treasury
19
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
We asked the Department how concerned it was about the drop in the into-work rate nationally in the last two years and what the reasons are for the decrease. The Department told us it was concerned but that there are external factors that impact the into-work rate, including job vacancy …
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We asked the Department how concerned it was about the drop in the into-work rate nationally in the last two years and what the reasons are for the decrease. The Department told us it was concerned but that there are external factors that impact the into-work rate, including job vacancy numbers, which it said correlated with the increase in the into-work rate 36 C&AG’s Report, para 1.11 37 C&AG’s Report, para 14 38 C&AG’s Report, para 15 39 C&AG’s Report, para 16 14 after the COVID-19 pandemic.40 It also explained that it is seeing a more complex caseload which will impact the into-work rate, such as claimants with health conditions and disabilities.41 The committee notes though that the into-work rate relates only to claimants in the intensive work search category, it excludes claimants with no work-related requirements, including due to health conditions and disability.42
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Government response AI summary
The government highlights its existing Get Britain Working White Paper and Pathways to Work initiatives, backed by significant funding, to support employment for people with health conditions and disabilities. The department will publish annual progress updates against intermediate employment metrics from Autumn 2025.
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HM Treasury
22
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
The Department designed its central support model at jobcentres based on evaluations it carried out from 2005 to 2015. These evaluations were randomised control trials that assessed the impact of adjusting aspects of the meetings between claimants and work coaches.49 The Department acknowledges that there are limitations in the evidence …
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The Department designed its central support model at jobcentres based on evaluations it carried out from 2005 to 2015. These evaluations were randomised control trials that assessed the impact of adjusting aspects of the meetings between claimants and work coaches.49 The Department acknowledges that there are limitations in the evidence base. Its trials covered Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants and did not cover claimants of Universal Credit, which it rolled out for new claims nationwide in 2018.50
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the conclusion, states the recommendation is implemented, and confirms it is already refreshing its evidence base through two ongoing Universal Credit trials, with findings expected by the end of 2026.
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HM Treasury
23
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
We asked the Department why its evidence base for its current model for supporting claimants is so old. The Department told us it is challenging to develop a new evidence base using randomised control trials, which it describes as the gold standard, bearing in mind how long it takes to …
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We asked the Department why its evidence base for its current model for supporting claimants is so old. The Department told us it is challenging to develop a new evidence base using randomised control trials, which it describes as the gold standard, bearing in mind how long it takes to carry out the trials and get the results.51
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented, confirming its commitment to refreshing its evidence base through ongoing Universal Credit trials, with findings to be published by the end of 2026.
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HM Treasury
24
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
The Department is working to enhance its evidence base and explore the impact of potential changes to its support model. It has carried out research to identify which aspects of work search review meetings between work coaches and claimants make them effective, including the effectiveness of different means of interaction …
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The Department is working to enhance its evidence base and explore the impact of potential changes to its support model. It has carried out research to identify which aspects of work search review meetings between work coaches and claimants make them effective, including the effectiveness of different means of interaction for different groups of claimants. Where possible using randomised control trials, the Department is also assessing alternative arrangements for delivering its services. Specifically, it is testing the impact on outcomes for claimants when it allows work coaches to choose the channel of communication (face to face, telephone or video) for their weekly meetings with claimants, and when it reduces the frequency of appointments for some claimants in the first 13 weeks from weekly to three-weekly. The Department expects the results of these trials to be available between June 2025 and November 2026.52
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented, affirming its commitment to refreshing its evidence base through ongoing Universal Credit trials, with findings to be published by the end of 2026.
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HM Treasury
29
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
In its November 2024 white paper Get Britain Working, the government described its plans to reform employment support as the first steps to achieving its long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate. From May 2018 to October 2024, the employment rate fluctuated between 74.3% and 76.4%.61
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In its November 2024 white paper Get Britain Working, the government described its plans to reform employment support as the first steps to achieving its long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate. From May 2018 to October 2024, the employment rate fluctuated between 74.3% and 76.4%.61
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Government response AI summary
The government states that it has already set out a roadmap in the Get Britain Working White Paper and highlights the Pathways to Work programme and other cross-government initiatives that contribute to the 80% employment rate ambition.
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HM Treasury
30
Conclusion
36th Report - Jobcentres
Accepted
We asked the Department how big a challenge it will be to get to 80%. The Department told us that it clearly is a stretching aspiration. The Department explained that, to achieve an 80% employment rate, its focus is on areas and groups where the employment rate is below 80%, …
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We asked the Department how big a challenge it will be to get to 80%. The Department told us that it clearly is a stretching aspiration. The Department explained that, to achieve an 80% employment rate, its focus is on areas and groups where the employment rate is below 80%, and that it is acting to narrow the gap through its planned reforms. It said that there are areas and localities with an 80% employment rate, but there are also some with a much lower rate.62
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Government response AI summary
The government states that it has already set out a roadmap in the Get Britain Working White Paper and highlights the Pathways to Work programme and other cross-government initiatives that contribute to the 80% employment rate ambition.
Read full response →
HM Treasury