Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 4
4
The Department’s focus on getting people into any form of employment risks neglecting its wider...
Conclusion
The Department’s focus on getting people into any form of employment risks neglecting its wider ambitions around supporting disabled people to work and supporting people on low pay to progress. The Department’s current focus is on minimising the impact of the downturn on unemployment, particularly on young people and the long-term unemployed, to reduce the ‘scarring’ effect of unemployment. Over the longer term, the Department has said it wants to address issues such as social and economic inequalities, health and disability issues, and in-work progression. The Department, along with the Department for Health and Social Care, ran a consultation from July to October 2019 seeking views on the different ways in which government and employers can reduce ill health-related job losses. The Department committed to producing a Green Paper on the topic and this, and the consultation response, were eventually published on 20 July 2021 after we had asked the Department about timings in our evidence session. The Green Paper notes that the long-awaited National Disability Strategy will be published shortly. The Department also established a Commission to review the evidence base and make recommendations around support for people in low-paid employment to progress. This consultation ended in December 2020 and published on 1 July 2021. Recommendation: The Department must now use the consultation and the Health and Disability Green Paper to clarify how it will support disabled people and people with health conditions, and publish the National Disability Strategy. The Department must also respond to the recommendations made by the in-work progression Commission to support people in low-pay employment to progress. In DWP Employment support 7 doing this, the Department needs to set out how it will tackle the long-term effects of the pandemic on the jobs market, disabled people, and in particular those who suffer from long Covid.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 4.2 The National Disability Strategy was published on 28 July 2021. It includes wide- ranging measures to support disabled people in employment and to progress. A range of Department for Work and Pensions initiatives are supporting disabled people to stay in and enter work including the Work and Health Programme, the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, Access to Work, Disability Confident and support in partnership with the health system, including Employment Advice in National Health Service Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services. 4.3 The department is committed to supporting individuals in low-paid work to increase their earnings or move into better paid work. 4.4 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2022 4.5 The department launched the In-Work Progression Commission in 2020 led by Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith. The Commission published their report on 1 July 2021. It makes twenty-six recommendations to help people to progress at work and move out of low paid employment. These include promoting a culture of lifelong learning, steps employers and government can take to support workers to progress and improving local transport links. The government is carefully considering the recommendations and will respond shortly. 4.6 The department is continuing to build evidence of what works to support people who are in work to progress to gain insight into how a future Universal Credit ‘in-work’ offer could be introduced. As part of this it is trialling a voluntary in-work support offer to claimants in South Yorkshire. 4.7 For low-paid workers, from April 2022, the department will bolster its work coach support for people on Universal Credit to help them boost their earnings through a focus on career progression advice, with Jobcentre specialists working with local employers to identify opportunities for people to progress in work.