Job advisers in GP surgeries to help long-term sick and disabled into work

Job advisers in GP surgeries and virtual reality interview practice are part of efforts to get 300,000 sick or disabled people into work by 2030 as the Government pledges to give people “a hand up, not a handout”.

Too many people with health conditions are being written off and out of the jobs market, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said, adding that this is something which “fails our economy”.

Funding of more than £1 billion across England and Wales over the next five years is aimed at getting tens of thousands more people into work.

Currently there are approximately 2.8 million people out of work in the UK due to long-term sickness – a figure roughly equivalent to the population of Greater Manchester.

Benefit claimants can be supported by work coaches at job centres in various ways, including being offered advice and referred for job opportunities.

But the Government said specialist employment advisers, which it described as being different to work coaches, are now being embedded into healthcare teams, including GP surgeries and mental health services, to ensure job support is treated as part of the all-round care on offer.

It is understood people will get intensive, personalised help including individual coaching from employment specialists who understand complex barriers to work.

Mr McFadden said: “Writing off people with long-term health conditions or disabilities fails them and fails our economy.

“We are giving people a hand up, not a handout, realising their potential and providing them with the skills to succeed as part of our Plan for Change.

“Thanks to local areas hitting the ground running, it is already delivering results – proving that when we invest in people and communities, everyone wins.”

The plans are part of the Connect to Work scheme, which is voluntary and open to those who are disabled, have a health condition, or face complex barriers to work.

A £167.2 million expansion of the programme into areas including Cumbria, Oxfordshire, and West Sussex and Brighton is expected to see more than 40,000 more sick or disabled people get support into work.

Unemployed people and those who are in work but at risk of losing their jobs because of the barriers created by their health conditions can refer themselves for support or be referred by healthcare professionals, councils, or community organisations.

Disability campaigners welcomed extra support for people but warned the new measures should not end up forcing people into work.

James Taylor, executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said the Government “must make sure it’s not pressuring people who are not well enough to work”, while Mark Gale, policy manager at Sense, said it is “vital these measures are designed and delivered alongside disabled people to bring about meaningful change, and aren’t simply used to force people into jobs that aren’t suitable for their needs or may even be detrimental to their health”.

As well as availability of employment advisers, people in areas including Portsmouth, the North East and East Sussex will have access to virtual reality immersive classrooms to help with interview practice, workshops to improve confidence and communication skills, and community-based health programmes.

Parents will also be helped with access to affordable childcare to enable them to get back into the workforce, the Department for Work and Pensions said.

The Government has previously warned that if the welfare system is not reformed, the number of working-age people on disability benefits is set to more than double this decade to 4.3 million, and spending on working-age disability and incapacity benefits will rise to £70 billion a year by the end of this Parliament in 2029/30.