The issue
Long-term unemployment is damaging to individuals and communities, it affects mental and physical health, and holds back economic growth.
We want to help people into work and make sure that work pays. In return, people on out-of-work benefits need to take the opportunities available to them to move off benefits and into work.
Out of work older people can find it more difficult to get a job and they are more likely than younger people to remain unemployed for longer.
Actions
We are making a number of welfare to work reforms which aim to fight poverty, support the most vulnerable and help people break the cycle of benefit dependency.
Introducing measures to give Jobcentre Plus flexibility in helping people back to work
To help people get back into work we have introduced a series of measures to give Jobcentre Plus some choice over what support to offer to claimants in their area based on claimant and local labour market characteristics.
We are working with back to work service providers, local authorities, training providers and employers to find innovative ways to help people back to work.
Managing the Work Programme
We have introduced the Work Programme to replace a range of employment schemes, pilots and projects. It provides personalised support for claimants who need more help to find and stay in work.
We will pay back to work service providers