Ready for Work' A Summary of Welfare Reform

1
Ready for Work. A Summary of Welfare Reform
2
Overview of Presentation

• Business Priorities
• Changes in Welfare Policy
• Targeted Action
• Building Blocks for Delivery
• Delivery Mechanisms

3
Business Priorities

• Public Service Agreement (PSA) Targets for Dept
  for Work and Pensions
• Employment for All (PSA 8)
• Tackling Poverty promote greater independence in
  later life (PSA 17)
• Department for Work and Pensions Strategic
  Objectives
• Reduce the number of children living in poverty
  (DS01)
• Maximise employment opportunity for all and
  reduce the numbers on out of work benefits
  (DS02)
• Promote equality of opportunity for disabled
  people
• (DS05 and linked to DS02)

4
Business Priorities (contd)

• Jobcentre Plus Business Priorities
• Helping disadvantaged people into work
• Providing financial support
• Addressing inequalities of opportunities
• Protecting the integrity of the Benefit System
• Working with employers and partners to address
  market failure in the labour market
• Targets and Key Indicators
• Jobcentre Plus
• Local Area Agreements

5
Step Changes in Welfare Policy

• The programme of welfare reform will
• strengthen engagement with individuals and
  employers
• improve customers employability
• reduce welfare dependency and increase economic
  competitiveness
• help people to work wherever they can and
  employers to secure the skills and employees they
  need
• link people to jobs, and
• provide in-work support to move more people into
  sustained employment.

6
Targeted Action

• The Focus will be on two main groups
• Lone Parents
• People on long term sickness benefits
• With joint working for other customer
  groups..Mental Health,offenders, age
  (SWOOP)
• Why these groups
• Children in Poverty are more likely to
• not go to school or to perform well
• be involved in criminal behaviour
• have poor health
• as an adult be poor and out of work
• . . .We need to break this cycle. . .

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Targeted Action (Contd)

• Work Benefits
• the individual self esteem, health
• the Family wealth, health
• community cohesion can break the cycle of
  re-offending

8
Building Blocks for Delivery

• Customers on sickness benefit
• Employment and Support Allowance (Oct 08)
• Pathways to Work (in place)
• Lone Parents
• Review of type of benefit, linked to age of
  youngest child (Nov 08)
• Mixture of support (current)
• Jobseeker Allowance Customers
• Flexible New Deal (Oct 09)
• Disability Support - consultation /changes to
  disability programme support

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Building Blocks for Delivery (contd)

• Job opportunities
• Local Employment Partnerships
• Integrated Employment and Skills
• Pre-employment support (in place with the
  Learning and Skills Council)
• Adult Advancement and Careers Service (2010)
• Underpinned by Service Developments
• Joint work with HMRC and Local Authorities in and
  out of work movements
• DWP My Account (on-line access/support)
• Rationalisation of telephone numbers improved
  interactive voice response
• Internal Diversity challenge to help understand
  our customers and their needs

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How we will Deliver

• Through a number of routes
• Jobcentre Plus (as a gateway)
• Contracted Provision - Pathways, Flexible New
  Deal, European Social Fund
• Working with Partners - LSC, Regional Skills
  Partnerships, Learn Direct, CSIP
• Working with Stakeholders
• Customers - Citizens Advice, Equality South West,
  SW TUC
• Employers - CBI, ACAS, Sector Skills Council