The Department for Work and Pensions is developing a strategic commissioning approach for employment support services, including funding arrangements with devolved administrations and coordination of employment provision across government. The policy addresses skills gaps (particularly in digital and technology) and involves multi-year workforce planning forecasts from departments and arm's-length bodies. Current status involves publication of Connect to Work statistics and ongoing coordination with the Cabinet Office on government-wide workforce strategy.
These official statistics in development cover labour market insights from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Labour market official statistics in development covering Universal Credit customer employment and journeys, into-work rates and analysis of local labour markets.
How DWP manages the release of Connect to Work statistics.
Labour market official statistics in development covering into-work rates, the employment of Universal Credit customers, and analysis of how young people out of work varies across the country.
The statistical work programme outlines developments to releases of DWP Official Statistics.
In response to: Connect to Work statistics: publication proposals
We are seeking views on our plans to publish official statistics on Connect to Work.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether employment and apprenticeship reforms announced on 16 March 2026 include measures to reduce the number of young men not in education, employment or training.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish gender-disaggregated monitoring data on the potential impact of the 200,000-job employment and apprenticeship programme announced on 16 March 2026 on the number o
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for (a) Education and (b) Business and Trade to reduce the number of young men not in education, employment or …
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of disparities in rates of males and females not being in education, employment or training on boys and young men.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that boys and young men receive targeted support to improve education, employment and training outcomes.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was between approval of an Access to Work application and support being put in place in 2025.
What steps he is taking to support young people into employment, education or training.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support young people into employment, education or training.
Direction: to_committee
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Data Strategy explains how DWP will collect, manage, analyse and use data to reach its business objectives.
UIN: HCWS1454 The UK and Welsh Governments have agreed how they will deliver the UK Government’s manifesto commitment to devolve employment support funding to the Welsh Government over the course of the current UK Parliament.That devolution has already begun with …
UIN: HLWS1459 My honourable Friend, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Transformation) (Andrew Western MP) has made the following Written Statement.The UK and Welsh Governments have agreed how they will deliver the UK Government’s manifesto commitment...
Direction: unknown
The Cabinet Office told us that, for the first time, government is developing multi-year strategic workforce plans for the civil service. The Cabinet Office has directed departments to provide five-year forecasts outlining the skills and capacity required to develop their …
We asked the Cabinet Office when it expects to publish the new strategic workforce plan. It told us that there is no confirmed publication date at present, but it hoped the government would be able to release the plan within …
We are seeking views on our plans to publish official statistics on Connect to Work.
Connect to Work is a major initiative in the government’s Get Britain Working strategy.
We are seeking views on our plans to publish official statistics on Connect to Work.
UIN: HLWS1075 I am making this statement to update the House on the transfer of the responsibility for apprenticeships; adult further education, skills, training and careers; and Skills England, from the Department for Education to the Department for Work and …
In response to: DWP Employment Provision Commissioning Strategy 2025
How the DWP Employment Category will support strategic outcomes and key aims through the commissioning and in-life delivery of commercial employment programmes.
Careers advice helps people achieve their potential, improving employment outcomes, as well as unlocking huge productivity gains with significant economic benefits. However, careers advice in England is a patchwork of services that lacks cohesion and is confusing and fragmented. Overall …
DWP and DfE should work together to develop a strategy for adult careers guidance. This should be based on an audit of the current career offerings and an assessment of the population’s needs. It should provide an overarching framework and …
DWP should review the funding and funding model for careers advice. It should develop a more strategic model that funds additional sessions for those for whom it will deliver the greatest impact and value for money, and in areas with …
The Government must also provide more certainty to staff and contractors. In the next 6 months, DWP should publish a transition plan for the NCS, setting out how it will be integrated into a new jobs and careers service and …
Over the next year, DWP should undertake a detailed review of its work coach model. It should evaluate the difference work coach support makes to employment outcomes for different groups, identifying those who would most benefit from more support and …
DWP’s solution to a lack of work coach capacity is to use digital tools, with its flagship plan being a ‘Jobcentre in your pocket’. DWP plans to deliver this digital tool in 2027–28, but has yet to define what it …
In its response to this report, DWP should provide more details about its plans for a ‘Jobcentre in your pocket’. DWP should set out what the public can expect from a ‘Jobcentre in your pocket’, how it will interact with …
DWP should work with the employment support sector to develop a framework for the ethical use of AI in employment support. (Recommendation, Paragraph 78) ‘Good jobs’ not ‘any jobs’ Type: conclusion | Number: 15 | Response status: partially_accepted Government response: …
The previous Government’s ‘ABC’ approach to employment support (any job, better job, career) has not worked. While it may move people off benefits in the short-term, it all too often does not lead to long-term, sustainable employment and exacerbates the …
To encourage Jobcentres to adopt longer-term thinking, DWP should add long-term employment metrics to its Jobcentre performance monitoring framework, such as whether people are still in work six or twelve months after leaving Jobcentres. DWP should also introduce metrics that …
DWP needs to rebuild trust with employers. This will require making better use of its network of Jobcentres and the employer advisers who work in them. To start, DWP should consider setting individual Jobcentres targets for engaging local employers. This …
Jobcentres offer a golden opportunity for the Government to influence employers and to create more ‘good jobs’. DWP should work with the Department for Business and Trade to expand Jobcentre’s offer to employers. The two Departments should work together to …
Many people who use Jobcentres have multiple and complex needs, which can act as barriers to them securing employment. Too often, issues that prevent people from finding jobs go unaddressed. Jobcentres and Jobcentre staff will not be able to address …
DWP should improve how it works with the voluntary and community sector, but first it needs to understand its current position. DWP should undertake an audit of its existing partnership work. It should use this to develop new operational models …
We welcome the Government’s commitment to develop a locally tailored and embedded service. Local areas are best placed to understand the needs of their population and labour markets. Jobcentres need to be aware of the different local needs of people …
Achieving an employment rate of 80% is likely to be very challenging. The Government’s long-term ambition is to achieve an employment rate of 80%. This would represent a considerable increase – from May 2018 to October 2024, the employment rate …
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 …
We asked the Department how realistic its plan is for a universal jobs and careers service given the current shortage of work coaches. The Department said it envisages a ‘pyramid’ with, at the top, a larger number of people who …
In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the government allocated £55 million for the Department to invest in developing new digital services and testing elements of the jobs and careers service in 2025–26.55 We asked the Department what progress has been made …
The Department explained it has a phased approach to the jobs and careers service. It said its ‘pathfinder projects’ are part of the first phase, testing new ways of delivering its services. In phase two, in 2026–27, it told us …
We asked the Department how it would measure the success of the new service and how it would measure the sustainability and quality of employment that people move into.63 In April 2025, the Department published Get Britain Working outcomes setting …
UIN: HLWS16 My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (The Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP) has made the following Written Statement.Today I am announcing plans to Get Britain Working as part of the Government’s number …
UIN: HCWS295 We previously provided updates on decommissioning Temporary Jobcentres; Expanding Our Services on 23 March 2021, and Expanding Our Services Update on 21 October 2021. These statements reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to reducing its Jobcentre estate...
UIN: HCWS1 I previously provided updates on decommissioning Temporary Jobcentres; Expanding Our Services on 23 March 2021, and Expanding Our Services Update on 21 October 2021. These statements reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to reducing its Jobcentre estate ...
We welcome the joint DWP and the DHSC Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) initiative that has tried out embedding employment support in mental health services for mild to moderate mental health conditions. The Department should work with …
We have heard numerous positive reports about Kickstart, however, without a comprehensive analysis of Kickstart or any publication of data on employment outcome, it is not possible to say with any assurance how successful the scheme has been or what …
With the withdrawal of the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA), there is no longer a dedicated self-employment support programme provided by DWP. Many people, including older people and disabled people, would benefit from the opportunity to start their own business as …
The Way to Work campaign focused on moving people into work as quickly as possible, without considering whether this work was suitable or sustainable in the long-term. This approach may reduce unemployment in the short-term, but the long-term positive impacts …
DWP’s employment support services do not currently offer much support beyond the point of securing employment. People who have multiple or complex barriers to employment or who have been unemployed for a long time are often seen as Plan for …
The current centralised delivery model for employment support does not make the most of local knowledge or expertise and promotes a one-size-fits-all approach to support design. A more devolved approach to support design and delivery would allow support to be …
DWP should establish a system of devolved support that sits within a National Framework where DWP maintains oversight of programmes to ensure that delivery is of a high and consistent standard, that value is delivered to the taxpayer and that …
The two-fold responsibilities of DWP to both provide employment support and administer benefits can deter people from seeking support and damage the trust that claimants have in support services. A more devolved model of support should be used to engender …
We welcome the recent publication of Restart statistics but there is more work to be done to if the Department is to provide transparent accountability across the range of DWP employment services. DWP lacks transparency around programme performance, making proper …
The Government’s Plan for Jobs and DWP’s response to the pandemic introduced a number of measures to support the recovery of the labour market and help people return to work. Although these initiatives have shown some success at helping people …
In response to: DWP Employment Provision Commissioning Strategy
How the DWP Employment Category will support strategic outcomes and key aims through the commissioning and in-life delivery of commercial employment programmes
UIN: HCWS869 Jobcentres provide an essential service for those looking for, or wanting to progress in, work. This Department continues its commitment to provide local personalised support for customers and families and remains committed to striking the right balance b...
The Department acknowledged the fall in clinical psychiatrists and mental health practitioners and agreed that services needed access to the full set of professionals.54 The Department noted that it had already committed to securing an additional 800 mental health and …
We observe that jobcentres are not currently mandated or resourced to provide the most appropriate employment help and support services to many workers, not least to the over-50s seeking to return to the workforce. Type: conclusion | Number: 34 | …
We recommend that the Government conducts a review into the future reform of jobcentres and to assess whether a public employment service offers better solutions in alternative settings (as well as online) that will improve the accessibility and quality of …
Direction: unknown
The Department has ended up paying more per Restart participant than for previous similar schemes, because it had to pay providers to rapidly build up capacity from a standing start and then did not need all that capacity. From 2010–11, …
The Department did not know enough about its claimants to understand what support they needed and how many eligible claimants would go on to participate in Restart. The Department’s work coaches know a lot about their claimants, but much of …
The Department does not understand how well each of the individual 77 providers are delivering Restart compared to their peers. The Restart scheme is delivered by a complex network of prime contractors and their subcontractors across 12 different contract areas …
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department of Work & Pensions (the Department) about the Restart Scheme.1 Type: conclusion | Number: 1 | Response status: accepted Government response: The …
Work coaches use their knowledge of claimants to decide what support a claimant might benefit from and whether to refer people onto particular schemes. However, the Department is not able to use this information when planning the scale of support …
From 2010–11, when it was responding to the last economic crash, to 2020–21, the Department reduced its expenditure on employment support from £2.9 bn to £300 million per year.35 The Department told us that when it was designing Restart, it …
However, the Department’s routinely collected management information only shows the performance in each of the 12 contract package areas, rather than detailing the performance of individual providers. Its management information shows how many people are moving into work in contract …
Several of the Restart subcontractors work in multiple contract areas, and half of the prime contractors also work as subcontractors in areas where they are not the prime. This has helped to facilitate the sharing of best practice, but it …
So far more Restart participants have moved into sustained jobs than the Department had expected, but this is in the context of historically low unemployment and high vacancies. The Department will not know the impact of Restart in increasing the …
Direction: unknown
We questioned the Department on the challenges it may face in implementing its strategy. The Department told us that it will achieve the planned increase in frontline counter-fraud staff to 9,500 full-time equivalents by July 2022. It explained that its …
Without full and frank transparency on projected workforce gaps, the public and NHS staff can have little confidence that the Government has grasped the depth of the workforce crisis, and little confidence in Framework 15 or the NHS workforce strategy. …
UIN: HCWS253 This Government is committed to helping people back into work, and to support this cross-government effort, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has invested in the temporary expansion of its Jobcentre network. This has enabled us to …
UIN: HLWS248 My honourable Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment (Julie Marson MP) has made the following Written Statement.This Government is committed to helping people back into work, and to support this cross-government effort, the Depa...
Direction: unknown
UIN: HCWS700 The Department is committed to continuing to deliver for customers, families, and the economy and yesterday announced its strategic ambition for its back of house services, i.e. those that are delivered virtually and where customers aren’t seen face …
The DWP and Welsh Government should work together to improve the signposting of benefits, grants, and allowances by producing a toolkit for Work Coaches. It should cover all devolved and local authority support. The DWP should report back to us …
We note that the In-Work Commissioner’s report on Supporting People out of Low Pay found that most Jobcentre Plus support is tailored to help people get into work: there is less support and training available for those who are already …
It is important to make the distinction between devolving the administration of certain welfare benefits and the wholescale devolution of welfare and we recommend that, as a first step, the UK-Welsh Government Inter-ministerial Advisory Board on Social Security should undertake …
In the event of the Welsh Government submitting formal proposals to the UK Government, the DWP should provide us with an update in 12 months regarding the nature and progress of its discussions with the Welsh Government. (Paragraph 162) The …
It is not clear how the Department uses Kickstart in tandem with its other employment support to best sustain young people in work. The Department aims to provide tailored help based on work coach’s understanding of the claimants they work …
Departments need to understand the delivery costs for their green jobs responsibilities to ensure their spending plans include sufficient allocation for this. Any analysis of environmental skills needs in local government needs to be accompanied by an assessment of the …
We recommend that by the end of 2021, the Skills and Productivity Board, or similar body, is tasked with ongoing monitoring of skills needs, with regular periodic reviews, to ensure forward-looking and responsive skills planning which encompasses the needs of …
By the end of 2021, the Government should set out how it will adapt its Careers Strategy to align with its net zero and environmental goals, including how it will reach different groups of the population to increase awareness of …
UIN: HLWS336 My honourable Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment (Mims Davies MP) has made the following Written Statement.On 23 March 2021 I outlined how, as part of the Government’s commitment to support people back into work, …
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 Department does not make the most of local authorities’ and employers’ in depth knowledge of local needs and priorities. Experts such as local authorities and employers have in-depth knowledge of local needs and priorities that can make employment support …
The quality of claimants’ experience with the Department and whether they receive the right support will depend on the Department’s ability to integrate the additional 13,500 new work coaches into its organisation and manage their performance effectively. The Department’s employment …
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Work and Pensions (the Department) about the employment support it provides to people who need help.1 Type: conclusion | Number: 1 …
While the Department publishes selective statistics about some of its support schemes, such as information about the work and health programme, it does not produce regular data on its schemes to allow Parliamentarians or its partners to scrutinise performance in …
The Department’s employment support is mainly accessible to people on benefits, and they will usually be referred to that support via their jobcentre work coaches. Work coaches have considerable discretion to tailor their support to claimants, including discretion around: the …
The Department told us that it recognises that the needs of local areas differ, and said that it “is about working closely” with the local authority, local employers and local enterprise partnerships and mayoral combined authorities. We heard that the …
We asked the Department whether it could be more proactive in sharing basic information such as its district provision tool—essentially a list of local provision—with partners, so they could see what people were being referred to, and to see if …
We are not yet persuaded, however, that requiring employers to report data on the “disability pay gap” is the right way forward. We share the Minister’s concern that this data could risk giving a misleading impression of employers who have …
DWP should reimagine fundamentally how it provides employment support to disabled people. We recommend that DWP should carry out a significant expansion of the number of Devolved Deal Areas, granting more powers to local authorities to set up their own …
The default position should be that groups of local authorities, perhaps based on the recently-defined NHS integrated care system boundaries, where they have the will and capacity to do so, are responsible for delivering employment support for disabled people. DWP …
Locally-commissioned employment support will require close working between local government and a variety of partners, including the NHS. Integrated care systems (ICSs) have an important role to play in strengthening these partnerships. The Government’s ambition is for every area in …
The evidence we heard in favour of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) as a model of employment support is overwhelmingly positive. We welcome the fact that the Department has invested in trials of IPS. We urge the Department to bring …
We welcome the fact that DWP already encourages providers of some of its disability support schemes to adopt job carving as part of their support to participants. The Department, however, should do more to support and encourage employers to adopt …
We heard evidence that the Disability Confident Commitments (the criteria an employer must agree to in order to receive Level 1 accreditation) are not challenging 76 Disability employment gap enough for employers and focus too heavily on changing recruitment processes …
DWP must demonstrate that lessons have been learnt from previous schemes and ensure that the payment model used in Restart does not disincentivise providers from supporting those who are furthest away from the labour market, including some disabled people. Although …
UIN: HCWS168 The Department for Work and Pensions has been at the heart of helping to deliver the Government’s Plan for Jobs to support, protect and create jobs following the pandemic. A year on from its launch, I want to …
While there is a broad consensus that new technology is unlikely to result in mass unemployment, it will lead to the loss of some jobs and the creation of entirely new ones. Some sectors will experience the impact of new …
We heard evidence that DWP has not been proactive enough in planning for long- term changes to the world of work, and that it has largely reacted to change instead of planning ahead for a range of different scenarios or …
New technology has the potential to enhance employees’ experience of work; for example, by allowing for greater use of remote working and replacing more mundane tasks. However, there is also a risk that technology could have an adverse impact on …
Responsibility for responding to changes in the world of work does not sit with one department. DWP told us that it works with other government departments to help fill roles in sectors where there is growing demand: for example, with …
New technology, especially assistive technology (AT), has the potential to expand disabled people’s access to the labour market. However, take-up and knowledge of AT is still low. DWP should do more to improve knowledge and take-up of assistive technology amongst …
We recommend that, as part of its commitment to levelling up, the Government should establish a new publicly funded advisory body of experts with a focus on the potential impact of changes in the world of work on different groups …
DWP should set out a plan for how Jobcentre Plus can work more closely with partners—including local authorities, local enterprise partnerships, employers and education and training providers—to ensure that its skills offer is aligned with the needs of the local …
It is essential that Work Coaches have a detailed understanding of the local labour market. Business engagement is a key route to understanding the changing jobs market and the nature of skills that employers are looking for. We heard evidence, …
In written evidence, DWP said that it intends to expand its skills offer. In response to this report, it should set out its plans in detail. In particular, it should explain how its offer will focus on the skills for …
Direction: unknown
UIN: HCWS876 As part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to support claimants back into work, DWP is moving at pace this spring and summer to introduce new Jobcentres, as a direct response to the pandemic.On top of the 13,500 new …
UIN: HLWS869 My honourable Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment (Mims Davies MP) has made the following Written Statement.As part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to support claimants back into work, DWP is moving at pace this …
Departmental data is not good enough to support functions’ development of comprehensive workforce plans. The Cabinet Office acknowledges it does not have the data it needs across all functions to accurately assess what skills the civil service has and where …
Ideally, all functions would have access to workforce statistics from a consistent civil service-wide data set. However, functions are still largely reliant on departmental data on staffing, which is variable in quality and is not always detailed enough for functions …
The Cabinet Office told us that the challenge of EU exit and EU transition, alongside the concurrent risk of the covid-19 pandemic, has sharpened its thinking about skills and has improved the effectiveness of strategic workforce planning across the civil …
We welcome the announcement of funding for the recruitment of over 13,500 new Work Coaches—double the current number—over the next financial year. This is an ambitious programme of recruitment. The Committee would welcome a written update from the Department, by …
UIN: HCWS519 I established the In-Work Progression Commission - led by Baroness McGregor-Smith - in March this year as part of this government’s commitment to levelling up opportunities for those who want to progress from lower paid jobs into higher …
UIN: HLWS513 My Right Honourable Friend, The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse Coffey MP) has made the following Written Statement.I established the In-Work Progression Commission - led by Baroness McGregor-Smith - in March this year as …
UIN: HCWS161 The Department for Work and Pensions is establishing an In-Work Progression Commission in order to increase its evidence base and support policy development on helping people to progress in work. The Commission will define the barriers individuals and …
UIN: HLWS156 My Right Honourable Friend, The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse Coffey MP) has made the following Written Statement.The Department for Work and Pensions is establishing an In-Work Progression Commission in order to increase its …
We are seeking views on options for a new experimental statistical series to consistently measure the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits.
We are seeking views on options for a new experimental statistical series to consistently measure the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits.
We are seeking views on options for a new experimental statistical series to consistently measure the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits.
In response to: Proposal for the future of Clay Cross Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Coventry Tile Hill Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Darwen Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Broxburn Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Brighouse Jobcentre
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Clay Cross Jobcentre.
In response to: Proposal for the future of Westminster Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Wilmslow Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Eltham Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Tunbridge Wells Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Whitstable and Herne Bay jobcentres
In response to: Proposal for the future of Wellington Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Edgware Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Southall Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Finchley Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Sheffield Eastern Avenue Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Highgate Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Shipley Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Hoylake Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Liverpool Edge Hill and Liverpool Wavertree jobcentres
In response to: Proposal for the future of Leytonstone Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Rotherham Goldthorpe Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Mountain Ash Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Mountain Ash Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Pyle Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Pyle Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Petersfield Jobcentre
In response to: Proposal for the future of Newton-le-Willows Jobcentre
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Mountain Ash Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Wellington Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Leytonstone Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Wellington Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Leytonstone Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Mountain Ash Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Clay Cross Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Wellington Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Leytonstone Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Mountain Ash Jobcentre.
This consultation seeks views on the proposed closure of Clay Cross Jobcentre.
We are seeking views on data sharing between DWP and local support providers.
We are seeking views on data sharing between DWP and local support providers.
We are seeking views on data sharing between DWP and local support providers.