Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 20
20
The Department has established a Commission to review the evidence base around in-work progression and...
Conclusion
The Department has established a Commission to review the evidence base around in-work progression and make recommendations to better support people in low-pay employment to progress.57 This consultation ended in December 2020, and its results were published on 1 July 2021. In the foreword to the publication, the Department committed 49 Q 15, 45 50 Qq 37, 45 51 Q 38; C&AG’s Report, pg 19 52 C&AG’s Report, Supporting disabled people to work, Session 2017–19, HC 1991, 28 March 2019, Para 1.17 53 Q 37 54 Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Health and Social Care consultation, Health is everyone’s business, available at: Health is everyone’s business: proposals to reduce ill health-related job loss – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 55 Work and Pensions Select Committee session on 19 May 2021, HC 189, Qq 260, 265 56 Q 40–42: Department for Work and Pensions, Shaping Future Support- The Health and Disability Green Paper, 20 July 2021, available at Shaping Future Support- The Health and Disability Green Paper (publishing.service.gov. uk) 57 C&AG’s Report, pg 19 16 DWP Employment support to carefully considering the findings of the Commission.58 The Department told us that Universal Credit, and the relationship that claimants have with work coaches even after somebody goes into employment, gives the Department an opportunity to provide better support for people in work than it had previously, and that the increase in the Universal Credit caseload during the pandemic meant that it was an important time to be considering this. The Department told us that this work will become a priority going forward, and that once unemployment is reduced, it would work on getting people into better paid jobs.59 Making the most of local knowledge
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
4b: PAC Recommendation: 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 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. 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.