Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Accepted
Restart participants continue to attend a jobcentre to meet their work coach every two weeks...
Recommendation
Restart participants continue to attend a jobcentre to meet their work coach every two weeks while they are on the scheme. Participants also have fortnightly meetings with their Restart provider employment advisor, half of which are in person.21 Participants have to repeat themselves in these meetings and tell their work coaches at the Department what they are doing on Restart, and their Restart advisor what they are doing with the Department. On the Work Programme, a similar previous employment support scheme, the Department ran a trial where participants were not required to meet with their work coach while they were on the scheme. The trial showed a reduction in the number of participants moving into sustained work, though this trial was conducted on a different employment support scheme and a different benefit regime, as it was before Universal Credit.22
Government Response Summary
The government will test reducing the current frequency of jobcentre contact for Restart participants and review the impact, with a target implementation date of Spring 2024.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
3b. PAC recommendation: The Department should undertake a review into how frequently participants are required to attend jobcentres while they are on Restart, to ensure attendance requirements on participants achieve the maximum value for money. 3.7 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2024 3.8 The department’s current approach is based on previous evidence that removing or reducing work coach contact whilst someone is on a programme can damage outcomes by slowing down the movement into work. 3.9 The department intends to test reducing the current frequency of contact and review the impact.