The UK government is expanding its Support Conversations service to 27 additional Jobcentres, enabling up to 40,000 disabled people and those with health conditions to receive personalised support. This brings the total number of sites offering the service to 33 across Great Britain.
What Are Support Conversations?
Support Conversations are free, voluntary one-hour sessions designed to help individuals understand and overcome barriers to work or meaningful activities such as volunteering. Unlike standard Jobcentre appointments, these sessions take a holistic approach, addressing issues like housing, debt, skills, and access to drug and alcohol support alongside employment.
Sessions are delivered by healthcare professionals, pathways to work advisers, and Disability Employment Advisers. They are available in person, by video, or over the phone. The service is open to people waiting for a Work Capability Assessment and those assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA).
Government's £3.5 Billion Plan
The expansion is part of the government's wider Pathways to Work package, backed by £3.5 billion to help more people into employment. Minister for Employment Dame Diana Johnson stated: "Too many disabled people and people with health conditions face barriers that stop them from accessing the support and opportunities they deserve. By expanding Support Conversations from six to 33 Jobcentres across Great Britain, up to 40,000 people will receive personalised support that reflects their individual circumstances."
She added: "Helping more people into good work is a key part of our Plan for Change, and Support Conversations will play an important role in making that happen."
Other Initiatives in the Package
The Pathways to Work package includes several other measures: Connect to Work, aiming to help 300,000 people into jobs by the end of this Parliament; the national rollout of WorkWell, backed by £259 million, to assist up to 250,000 people with health conditions stay in or return to work; the Right to Try, allowing disabled people and people with health conditions to try work without immediate risk of reassessment; and 1,000 pathways to work advisers, who have already helped more than 65,000 people move closer to employment.
Rollout Details
As part of the expansion, the government will continue testing Support Conversations delivered by healthcare professionals and disability employment advisers, while pathways to work advisers will also begin delivering the service. Twenty-seven new Jobcentres have been confirmed so far, with six more to be announced shortly.
