Work Programme has ‘promising’ start

Newly published data on the Work Programme has suggested that the scheme is having a positive long-term effect on unemployment numbers.

Following the launch of the Work Programme in June 2011, figures have shown that 24% of those joining the scheme in its first month completed at least three successive months without benefits payments.

Of those joining during this same period, 48% were shown to have had a break in their benefit claims.

Seven out of ten participants who had stopped their benefits during the scheme’s first ten weeks were still not claiming 13 weeks later.

The Work Programme aims to provide support for those at risk of long-term unemployment by paying private providers and voluntary job seeking organisations according to the achievement of sustained employment.

The Government has also published data that shows 17,100 18 to 24 year olds had started a job in since the launch of the Youth Contract in April.

Employment minister Chris Grayling said that the figures revealed a ‘promising start’ to the programme.

‘People I meet in the industry already say that performance is well ahead of where it was at the same stage with the Flexible New Deal from which it took over, and this data gives further encouragement,’ Grayling said.

Matthew Fell, CBI director for competitive markets, said: ‘The Work Programme seems to have made a promising start, but it’s still far too early to tell how the programme is performing overall. In a challenging economic environment we should take action to make sure the programme delivers on its promise, not write it off.’