The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced a major expansion of specialist employment support to help thousands of sick and disabled people secure good, sustainable jobs. The £338 million investment in the Connect to Work programme will deliver tailored, localised support to over 85,000 individuals across fifteen areas in England. The initiative forms part of a wider £3.8 billion employment support package aimed at breaking down barriers to work, improving living standards, and helping the UK achieve an 80% employment rate.
Connect to Work provides intensive, personalised assistance including individual coaching, job matching services, and ongoing support for both participants and employers to ensure sustainable employment outcomes. Across England and Wales, around 300,000 people are expected to benefit over the next five years. Participants can access support through self-referral or via healthcare professionals, local authorities, and voluntary sector partners. The programme addresses the high rates of worklessness due to ill health, which affects 2.8 million people in the UK, with over one in four citing sickness as a barrier to employment.
The funding also targets specific regions with the largest interventions, including Central London Forward, Local London Sub-Regional partnership, South Yorkshire, and Greater Essex, providing tailored support to tens of thousands of participants in these areas. Early delivery sites have already demonstrated the positive impact of the programme. In West London, for example, participants have successfully found work with the guidance of specialist employment coaches, illustrating the effectiveness of tailored support for people facing complex barriers.
Local leaders and stakeholders have praised Connect to Work for empowering communities, reducing welfare dependency, and creating stronger, more resilient local economies. The programme works in tandem with other initiatives such as the WorkWell programme, which integrates health services and employment support to help those with health conditions remain in or return to work.
The announcement also complements recent reforms under the Universal Credit Act, which increases the standard allowance and rebalances health-related support, ensuring fairer welfare provisions for sick and disabled people. Overall, the expansion of Connect to Work represents a coordinated effort to improve employment opportunities, reduce poverty, and provide long-term, sustainable support for the most disadvantaged groups in the workforce.
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