The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is on track to merge Jobcentre Plus with the National Careers Service by October 1, 2026, bringing employment support under one roof. The move is designed to significantly improve job support for disabled people across the UK, with a pilot scheme already being trialled in the North East.
What the merger involves
The combined service will bring together career advice and job support that currently helps more than 650,000 people annually. The DWP currently spends £40 million per year outsourcing National Careers Service contracts.
Baroness Sherlock, DWP minister, told the House of Lords: "If they are in the same place, rather than people having to go somewhere else or to a different organisation, this will have to make a difference."
Support and concerns
Ministers say the new integrated service will provide more personalised support and help people overcome barriers to employment. Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Employment, said the reforms target more than one million young people not in education, employment or training.
Concerns were raised in Parliament about access for disabled people, with assurances given that resources will be prioritised for those who need them most.
