12.01.15
Unemployed ‘falling through cracks’ in national work scheme – LGA
The number of unemployed people not claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has passed the one million mark for the first time, with many “falling through the cracks” in national work schemes, the Local Government Association (LGA) has stated.
Council leaders said the latest employment figures in December highlighted the growing issue, with a 28% increase in the proportion of unemployed people not claiming benefits in the last 18 months.
The LGA claims that many of the hardest-to-reach jobseekers, including young people, are not receiving government help into work with national schemes.
The Association, which represents 415 authorities in England and Wales, warns that councils cannot afford to continue resolving the failings of national schemes in their communities without appropriate funding.
However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) claims that the LGA is wrong to suggest that people are not getting the help they need.
A DWP spokesperson said: “The truth is that every day our Jobcentre advisers are helping people off benefits and in to work and we now have record numbers of people in jobs.
“Our network of over 700 Jobcentres already work closely with local authorities and organisations on the ground, tailoring support to help as many local people into work as possible.”
But an LGA commissioned report, published by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), explores in detail how a sample of councils across the country have provided a safety net for their most vulnerable and hardest to reach residents.
The study, which focused on nine local authorities, says programme outcomes could not be compared to those of national schemes for the unemployed because eligibility and target groups are different, as participation is voluntary and they aim to achieve intermediate outcomes, not just employment.
It did state, though, that lessons could be learned for the design of future back to work schemes, including the need to link with existing provision, rather than to duplicate or to deliver specialist services with generalist staff.
NIESR’s report added that council services are most capable of meeting the needs of the growing number of individuals who are not claiming out of work benefits and who are likely to be without support.
The report notes: “To engage such people, services need to be accessible, attractive, useful and flexible and provide one to one support. Services should also aim to address wider barriers to work, including health and housing, given the obstacles that these present to employment.”
The report’s lead author, Dr Heather Rolfe, added that local authorities have a unique position in their communities, able to bring services together, forging partnerships and strengthening referral networks.
“It is through such work that they are able to help unemployed people who are beyond the reach of national programmes,” she added.
The LGA is now calling on the next government to commit to devolving all nationally-run, education, skills and employment schemes to local areas so councils can join-up services to support their most vulnerable residents.
Cllr David Sparks, the LGA’s chair, said: “Unemployment is falling, but the headlines hide the plight of our most vulnerable residents who are falling through the cracks. Too many are let down by national job schemes which are unable to identify or help them because they have not signed on at their local Jobcentre Plus.
“Councils across the country are desperate to ensure no-one is left behind and have sought to support those being forgotten by these national services by using their local knowledge, expertise and connections with local organisations and services to target their hardest to reach residents.”
(Image source: Rui Vieira and PA Wire)
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