‘Get Britain Working’ initiative to increase employment support

AHEAD of the budget, Rachel Reeves announced a £240 million plan aimed at reducing economic inactivity by increasing employment support.

The "Get Britain Working" package will deliver targeted work, skills, and health support to disabled people and those with long-term sickness.

This initiative includes local "trailblazers" to help people not typically connected with employment systems access existing resources in skills, education, work, and health, and will test new early interventions to address specific barriers to employment.

These trailblazers are also set to integrate work and skills support with health services to provide coordinated assistance.

The plan will be implemented in partnership with mayors to ensure the services match the employment and inactivity challenges in each area. An accelerated benefit reform is also part of the initiative, with 800,000 people on the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) moving to Universal Credit (UC) from this autumn instead of 2028, giving more people access to employment support sooner.

In a statement, the chancellor said, “Due to years of economic neglect, the benefits bill is ballooning. We will build a Britain where people who can work, will work, turning the page on the recent rise in economic inactivity and decline.”

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall MP added, “Millions of people have been denied the opportunity to build a better life. This includes one-in-eight young people who have had their hopes of a brighter future dashed… Through our Get Britain Working plan, we will ensure every young person is supported to find earnings or learning.”

The government aims to tackle barriers to work, increase employment, and drive growth through this plan, which includes reforming employment support, NHS adjustments, and measures outlined in the upcoming English Devolution White Paper.