Employment Support for long term Incapacity Benefit Claimants

Graham Hart

Economic Development Manager

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Background

• Major reforms in the welfare to work agenda including the introduction of the DWP Work programme and a challenging Govt. target that one in five current Incapacity Benefit claimants will return to work.

• Reducing public funding and resources to provide employment support. Major reductions in LDA funds for employment support in central London Boroughs.

• In central London (Camden Islington, RBKC, Westminster) there are 76,630 residents on out of work benefits. The number on Incapacity Benefit/ESA is 40,660. May 2010

DWP reassessment of Claimants

• All existing incapacity benefits customers are to have their claims reassessed over the next three years. As part of this reassessment the majority of incapacity benefits customers will undergo a Work Capability Assessment to determine their future benefit entitlement.

• After assessment claimants will be placed in one of three groups.

Transfer to Jobseekers Allowance

Be placed in a Work Related Activity Group and receive ESA

Be placed in the ESA Support Group (not expected to seek work).

• In the majority of cases the claimant will not have had any contact often extending to a number of years and yet they could be expected to engage in employment support and seek work as a result of the assessment.

Project Overview - Objectives

• Gain a deeper understanding of claimants’ employment support needs across central London.

• Enable shared understanding amongst commissioners and providers of the employment support needs.

• Understand the use of new media and the internet and assess amongst claimants and test the feasibility of such channels.

• Identify opportunities and mechanisms to coordinate and rationalise support across central London.

Project Overview - Methodology

• Observation of clients interaction with existing support (third sector and mental health support projects)

• In depth interviews with claimants that have not received any employment support in the previous 12 months. Participants to complete diaries of their activities and movements for a week prior to interview.

• Focus groups x 4 (per Borough and also if possible other segmentation such as by limitation) Focus groups will also explore use of social media.

• Focus group with community, voluntary and healthcare provider stakeholders.

• Interviews with commissioners and focus group on potential efficiencies in employment /health support.

• Of particular interest to LB Islington who wish to pilot the use of social media in reaching this client group.

• Focus groups will inform the selection of a particular channel / method. Reviews will cover issues such as online forums, user generated content, methods of communication and delivery of materials/alerts.

• The selected approach will be trialled for a period of several months prior to evaluation.

Project Overview – social media dimension

Dissemination and use

• Desk research and final report

• Advice guides for use by personal advisers

• Workshop

• Online forum – hotseat

• Sub-regional work between Boroughs, considering employment support in the current climate.

• Informing the work around health and employment, including fit for work services and integrated support within health.

• Work programme providers and local delivery networks.

• National stakeholders .