The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is embedding specialist employment advisers in GP surgeries and mental health services as part of a £1 billion plan to help 300,000 long-term sick and disabled people into work by 2030. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the initiative aims to provide “a hand up, not a handout”, addressing the 2.8 million people currently out of work due to long-term sickness.
The Connect to Work scheme, which is voluntary, will offer intensive, personalised support including individual coaching from employment specialists who understand complex barriers to work. A £167.2 million expansion into areas such as Cumbria, Oxfordshire, and West Sussex and Brighton is expected to support over 40,000 more people.
In addition to job advisers, some regions including Portsmouth, the North East, and East Sussex will trial virtual reality immersive classrooms for interview practice, workshops to boost confidence, and community-based health programmes. Parents will also receive help with affordable childcare to return to work.
Disability campaigners welcomed the extra support but urged caution. James Taylor of Scope said the government “must make sure it’s not pressuring people who are not well enough to work”, while Mark Gale of Sense stressed the need for measures to be “designed and delivered alongside disabled people”. The DWP warned that without reform, spending on disability benefits could reach £70 billion a year by 2029/30.
