Following the publication of the new Employment Rights Bill in early October, the Government published its ‘Get Britain Working White Paper’; the aim of which is to make significant reforms to both employment support and the health and disability benefits system.
The reforms are focussed on getting people back into work and to reach an employment rate of 80% (currently 74.8%). The six key issues it sets out to address are as follows:
- “too many people are excluded from the labour market – especially those with health conditions, caring responsibilities or lower skill levels
- too many young people leave school without essential skills or access to high-quality further learning, an apprenticeship or support to work so that they can thrive at the start of their career
- too many people are stuck in insecure, poor quality and often low-paying work, which contributes to a weaker economy and also affects their health and wellbeing
- too many women who care for their families still experience challenges staying in and progressing in work
- too many employers cannot fill their vacancies due to labour and skills shortages, holding back economic growth and undermining living standards
- there is too great a disparity in labour market outcomes between different places and for different groups of people
Considering this context, here is what yesterday’s announcement set out:
- The launch of a new independent review looking into how employers can be better supported to employ and retain those with disabilities
- Implement measures that will overhaul the health and disability benefits system so that it better supports people into and to remain in employment. Before this happens, there will be a public consultation (launched Spring 2025) inviting employers, professional bodies, trade unions and individuals who have disabilities to share their views.
- Introduce additional 8,500 new mental health employees into the health and social care sector
- Expand access to the existing ‘Individual Placement Support’ scheme, which supports those with severe mental illness
- The Government will adopt a prevention first approach in supporting mental health and will do this by expanding Talking Therapies, introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill as well as a variety of steps that help to tackle obesity.
- £125 million investment will be made into developing eight areas across England and Wales to locally join support together when it comes to health and skills; and for three areas in particular (North East, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire), further funding to help people to stop falling out of work completely due to ill health. The practical application of how this funding is used will then be used to design a support network across the rest of England and Wales.
- A new national jobs and careers service will be created along with reforms to job centres across Great Britain, with those in England being integrated with the National Career Service.
- £55 million investment will be given to help people get into, and stay in work, as well as to build skills and enable them to build their career.
- The Department of Work and Pensions will introduce the latest technologies, including AI within the job centres that will help to provide up to date information on jobs, skills and ultimately freeing up the time of Work Coaches. Technology will also be utilised to bring efficiencies to other DWP online services, including CV advice and job adverts.
- A ‘Youth Guarantee’ initiative will be introduced where every 18-21 year old in England will have access to an apprenticeship, quality training as well as educational opportunities that will help them to find new employment. This will tie in with the creation of new Government partnerships as a way of offering employment or learning opportunities in order to upskill the younger generation. It includes partnerships with organisation’s that include the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Premier League and Channel 4.
- Eight youth ‘trailblazer’s will also be set up, which includes in areas such as Liverpool, Tees Valley and the East Midlands. The £45 million in funding will be given to identify those who are most at risk of falling out of education or employment and therefore, to connect them to education, training and employment opportunities.
- The current Apprenticeship Levy will be reformed making it a more flexible growth and skills levy which will include developing new foundation and shorter apprenticeships in key sectors of the economy
- Two new panels will be set up to support the roll out of the reforms; first, an advisory panel that will put young people at the heart of decision making and second; a disability panel that ensures those with disabilities are central in the reforms
- Areas across England that do not get one of the several ‘trailblazers’ will receive funding to help in developing a ‘Get Britain Working Plan’ which will be to focus on reducing economic inactivity.
- A new ‘Connect to Work Scheme’ will be introduced next year which will provide voluntary employment to people with disabilities, and those who experience complex barriers for staying in employment. It is expected that when the scheme has fully rolled out, it will help support up to 100,000 people.
- An independent review will take place which will look at the role of employers in promoting health and inclusive workplaces, and aims to address the impact poor health has on employers such as sickness absence, staff turnover. One aspect of the review will be to look at what else needs to be done to enable employers to increase the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities and in undertaking early intervention. This review is going to be ongoing until Summer 2025 and will seek input from employers, employees, trade unions, and health experts.
As you can see, these are significant reforms to employment support and the health and disability benefits system. In fact, this is just one element of what the Employment Rights Bill, which has 28 reforms, aims to do!
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