b2 graham hart
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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 .