Now It's Personal? The new landscape of welfare-to-work

Article

This report shows that despite promising to devolve power, the Coalition government's flagship welfare-to-work programme does nothing to change one of the most highly centralised welfare systems in the world. ippr is calling for a radically devolved, localised welfare-to-work system.

The Coalition government's new Work Programme concentrates overall power in Whitehall and hands responsibility for supporting jobseekers to a small number of welfare-to-work providers. This further risks innovation at a local level being squeezed out of the system.The report explores risks and opportunities presented by the new Work Programme and set out proposals for a more fluid and innovative sub-contracting market to improve support for those furthest from the labour market.

Our report argues that effective back-to-work support requires fine-grained local knowledge and intelligence. We argue that a more enterprising welfare-to-work system could help create new job opportunities for unemployed workers and build stronger links between economic development and workforce development.

Related items

  1. Street scene in financial district, London

    Rule of the market: How to lower UK borrowing costs

    The UK is paying a premium on its borrowing costs that ‘economic fundamentals’, such as the sustainability of its public finances, cannot fully explain. 
  2. A mother and child from behind looking out of a window

    Restoring security: Understanding the effects of removing the two-child limit across the UK

    The government’s decision to lift the two-child limit marks one of the most significant changes to the social security system in a decade.
  3. A group of healthcare professionals sitting in a staff common room in a hospital in Newcastle

    Building a healthier, wealthier Britain: Launching the IPPR Centre for Health and Prosperity

    Following the success of our Commission on Health and Prosperity, IPPR is excited to launch the Centre for Health and Prosperity.