The Department for Work and Pensions has unveiled a major expansion of its pioneering WorkWell service, a move set to transform support for individuals grappling with health-related employment challenges across England. This significant national rollout will extend personalised assistance to approximately 250,000 people, marking a substantial escalation from the initial pilot that successfully aided over 25,000 participants.
A Transformative Approach to Health and Employment
WorkWell represents a fundamental shift in how the government addresses the intersection of health conditions and workforce participation. The scheme operates as an early-intervention, health-focused service that collaborates closely with local NHS providers, council services, and community organisations. Its primary objective is to prevent individuals from leaving employment due to health issues or to facilitate their swift return to work if they have become unemployed.
Personalised Support Structure
The initiative offers meticulously tailored assistance for those confronting physical or mental health obstacles that impact their employment prospects. Participants gain access to a comprehensive range of services including specialised physiotherapy for mobility difficulties, professional counselling for mental health support, practical workplace adjustment recommendations, and structured return-to-work planning.
Remarkably, individuals do not need to be receiving benefits to qualify for support. Each participant receives personalised guidance from a dedicated Work and Health Coach who conducts thorough assessments of their health and social barriers to employment. The programme adopts a "no wrong door" philosophy, with multiple access routes including employer referrals, GP recommendations, Jobcentre Plus connections, local service signposting, or straightforward self-referral.
Government Commitment and Funding
Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, emphasised the programme's significance, stating: "Too often, people with health conditions are signed off sick without the support they need to stay in or return to work—and that doesn't help anyone. WorkWell changes that by giving people the help they need. Our pilot provided support to 25,000 people to remain in their jobs and helped others get back to work. Now we're rolling this out nationwide—because supporting people to stay healthy and employed benefits individuals, businesses, and our economy."
The expansion forms a crucial component of the government's broader Plan for Change, which aims to dismantle barriers to opportunity, enhance living standards, and stimulate sustainable economic growth. To finance this ambitious nationwide deployment, the government has allocated up to £259 million over the next three years, demonstrating substantial financial commitment to the initiative's success.
Healthcare System Benefits
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, highlighted the programme's dual benefits: "No one should have to choose between a job they love and their health. WorkWell's national expansion shows this government is modernising a system that has written people off for too long. By combining health support with employment support in local communities, WorkWell can give people back their confidence, their purpose and their wellbeing. Crucially, it also eases pressure on GPs and cuts waiting lists so we can build an NHS fit for the future."
Addressing Critical Employment Challenges
The nationwide rollout arrives during a period of significant strain in the UK labour market, where approximately 2.8 million people remain unemployed due to long-term illness—the highest figure among G7 nations. Additionally, the NHS issues around 11 million sick notes annually, underscoring the scale of health-related employment disruption.
Pilot programme data revealed that 48% of participants identified mental illness as their primary obstacle to employment, while 59% were unemployed at their initial appointment. These statistics highlight the programme's targeted relevance to current workforce challenges.
Participant Experiences and Delivery Flexibility
Sadie, a WorkWell participant, shared her positive experience: "I was under a lot of stress from work and wasn't feeling supported in managing my work-life balance. I went to my doctors, as I wanted to be proactive rather than going off sick and they recommended the WorkWell programme. It really helped me to have the consistency of someone to speak to and have someone push me in the right direction. I'm still with my employer, I'm focusing on my health, I've got so much more work-life balance, and it started with WorkWell's support being in my corner."
Chris Luck, Chief Executive of Shaw Trust, which helped deliver the pilot programme, explained the flexible delivery approach: "Key to its success is meeting people where they are – they can access support in person, over the phone, via video call or even in their local café. It joins up work and health support, with employment coaches working closely with mental and physical health professionals, to make sure people get the help they need."
Broader Economic and Healthcare Implications
Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, welcomed the national expansion: "The national rollout of the government's new health and employment support programme, WorkWell, across every ICB is welcome news. Supporting people to stay in or return to work is an important step in helping to reverse the rates of health-related economic inactivity in England, and in turn reducing pressure on the NHS as well as the economy."
By intervening early and providing comprehensive support before health problems force people out of employment, WorkWell aims to simultaneously strengthen workforce participation, reduce economic inactivity, and alleviate pressure on overstretched primary care services. This integrated approach represents a significant evolution in how government addresses the complex relationship between health, employment, and economic productivity.
