Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted
Many of the complex barriers that claimants face, which can mean that somebody is less...
Recommendation
Many of the complex barriers that claimants face, which can mean that somebody is less likely to be referred to Restart and that they might find it harder to move into work, are 9 Q 6; C&AG’s Report, figure 6 10 Q 7; C&AG’s Report, figure 6 11 C&AG’s Report, figure 6 12 Qq 2–3 13 Qq 34–36, C&AG’s Report para 2.12 14 Qq 26, 36 15 Q 4; C&AG’s Report para 2.3 16 Qq 7; 35–37 The Restart Scheme for long-term unemployed people 11 related to issues that the Department would not historically have the role of addressing. Homelessness and physical and mental health problems, for example, would all primarily be the responsibility of other government Departments (the Department for Levelling up, Housing & Communities and the Department of Health & Social Care, respectively). The Department told us that it is finding the mental health of claimants a particular barrier for people trying to get into work.17
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that complex barriers prevent people from finding work and has set out a plan to improve support in the White Paper published on 15 March 2023, including extending the Employment Advisers in NHS Talking Therapies services, working with the Ministry of Justice, Department for Education, and Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6. PAC conclusion: Many claimants have complex barriers that prevent them from finding work, and some of these barriers may be better addressed through other means than an employment support scheme such as Restart. 6. PAC recommendation: The Department should set out, in its Treasury Minute response: • Its understanding of how complex barriers such as mental health problems and homelessness, which might not traditionally sit with the Department, impact on people’s ability to find work and the associated cost of this to society and the exchequer. • How it will develop and use its knowledge of claimants to help government as a whole to take a joined up and effective approach to overcoming the ‘complex barriers’ that prevent people from finding and maintaining employment 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 The government set out its plan to improve support to those with complex barriers relating to health and disability in the White Paper Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper published on 15 March 2023 6.3 The White Paper recognises the need to ensure join up across public services and with employers, to ensure that people receive the most appropriate support to release their potential. An example is the work through the Joint Work and Health Directorate, with Department for Health and Social Care, to extend the Employment Advisers in NHS Talking Therapies services to support more people with mental health issues (paragraph 65 of the White Paper). 6.4 The department also works across government to build support for claimants facing other complex needs, for example with: • Ministry of Justice, on their Prisons Strategy White Paper. This includes testing ways of starting Universal Credit claims and the claimant commitment in prison • Department for Education to support care leavers as they move out of the care system • Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities on their rough sleeping strategy, to introduce homelessness leads in every jobcentre.