The future of benefits and employment support: What does it mean for recruiters?

The government is looking at the benefits and employment support system to strike a better balance between financial viability and work incentives as outlined in a new Green Paper. This has meant some big changes to the benefits system, saving £5 billion while re-investing £1 billion in employment support

Here's what's on the table and what it could mean for jobseekers, businesses and recruiters.

Employment support: more help, more engagement

The DWP is keen to create a big, clear and simple offer of work, health and skills support under the banner of "Pathways to Work". This will bring together existing pilots like WorkWell, Individual Placement and Support, Connect to Work and the Get Britain Working trailblazers currently being tested by Mayoral Authorities.

Part of Pathways to Work will also be about Jobcentres Plus cultivating more active engagement and support for people with disabilities and health conditions:

• A new support conversation with an appropriate professional to better understand jobseekers' goals and challenges.
• Additional support options - such as regular in-depth support with a consistent advisor, more intensive long-term support programmes for those who are ready or even programmes of periodic engagement for people not yet ready.
• A new baseline expectation of engagement for those who receive the UC health element.

In future, the DWP will ensure that starting work doesn't automatically trigger a PIP reassessment or award review. Initially this will be guidance but the government will legislate for a "right to try" to ensure this can't be changed in the future. We know from members that people on UC for example can be wary of taking up offers of work because they fear their benefits will be cut (even when that is not the case) so this should act as an incentive for more people to try returning to work.

Access to Work

The government is also consulting on the future of Access to Work. Three potential approaches are being tested:

1. Supporting employers directly to make workplaces more accessible and inclusive.
2. Providing targeted funds to individuals to pay for workplace adaptations, beyond what could be considered reasonable adjustments.
3. Shaping the market for assistive technology.

They're also reviewing how Access to Work is delivered - whether it should continue as a DWP-administered programme or move to a model that more directly involves disabled people and employers. We will ensure that future Access to Work doesn't forget that the hirer is not always the employer - and that recruiters are some of the most powerful allies the government could have in engaging disabled people with work.

Getting Britain Working?

Today's announcement is part of the government's broader Plan to Get Britain Working based on four pillars:

• Giving Mayors and councils powers to join up health, skills and employment support.
• Reforming Jobcentre Plus so it's a locally responsive "national jobs and careers service" that's better engaged with employers and jobseekers.
• Guaranteeing young people education, employment, training or support to find work.
• Conducting an independent review into how employers can be better supported to recruit and retain people with disabilities and health conditions.

 The REC is already working with ministers and officials to ensure that the government recognises the importance of the private employment sector and temp work, as well as to highlight the impacts of other parts of the government's agenda on employment. We know they can't achieve this goal without us.

The REC will be responding to the consultation on questions surrounding the future of the employment support system. If you have any insight, concerns or best practices you'd like to share please contact oliver.freeman@rec.uk.com.