In our July 2023 Report Plan for Jobs and employment support, we considered DWP’s employment support provision following the Covid-19 pandemic, at which point UK labour statistics showed a substantial increase in the number of people who were economically inactive.
During that inquiry, we found that increased devolution of employment support services could help improve employment outcomes for individuals, benefit local businesses and communities, and in doing so contribute to the Government’s wider levelling up agenda. We also found that a more devolved model of employment support, separate from the administration of benefits, could improve trust between claimants and services.
Given that economic inactivity, levelling-up, and growing the economy remain key challenges for the UK, we are launching an inquiry into the devolution of employment support to help inform Government thinking.
Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry.