Get Britain Working White Paper
The Get Britain Working White Paper, released this week, focusses on ‘transforming the department for welfare into a genuine department for work’. It reiterates the government’s ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate, which would mean 2 million more people in work. This is based on:
- A modern industrial strategy and local growth plans
- The Plan to Make Work Pay
- Reforms to employment support, bringing together skills and health, the focus of the Get Britain Working white paper.
The White Paper comes with £240m of announced funding. This pales in comparison with the scale of the challenge facing the government when it comes to health related economic inactivity. The number of people economically inactive because of long term sickness has risen from under 2 million in 2019 to just under 2.5 million in 2023. Meanwhile the disability benefits bill is projected to double to £100bn by 2030. This would be a rise of £50bn, double the amount raised by the National Insurance changes. While some of these are in work, it is a reflection of the country’s worsening health, and the fiscal implications.
The paper argues that the current system is designed to deal with the problems of the past, rather than be proactive to avoid economic activity.
Health, work and skills
- The paper recognises health as a major factor in employment. Therefore it commits to supporting the NHS with 40k extra elective appointments each week, address key health issues that relate to worklessness, which as the Tocacco and Vapes Bill and steps to tackle obesity, and expanding access to exper employment advisors as part of treatment.
- £135m of funding to help eight place based trailblazers to create a joined up work, health and skills offer. These areas will trial new interventions and increased engagement with people outside the workforce, with agreed outcomes. These will be based in West Yorkshire, the North East, South Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, two in London and one in Wales.
- Each area in England will be supported to create their own Get Britian Working Plan, aligned with Local Growth Plans.
- £115m in funding next year for Connect to Work, a new supported employment programme, which will support 100,000 people a year at full rollout, as the first tranche of money from a new Get Britain Working Fund.
Youth Guarantee
- Delivering the Youth Guarantee, with £45m funding for eight trailblazers. These trailblazers will be based in Liverpool City Region, West Midlands, Tees Valley, East Midlands, West of England, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and two in London.
- A new approach to benefit rules, to make sure young people can develop skills alongside searching for work.
- Prevent young people losing touch with education through a guaranteed place in education and training for 16 and 17 year olds.
Job Centres
- Bring together job centres and the National Careers Service in England, focussing them around improving engagement, employment and earnings.
The paper also launches an independent review into the role of UK employers in promoting healthy and inclusive workplaces.
Get Britain Working White Paper
The Get Britain Working White Paper, released this week, focusses on ‘transforming the department for welfare into a genuine department for work’. It reiterates the government’s ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate, which would mean 2 million more people in work.
