Due to a lack of work coaches in its Jobcentres, the Department for Work and Pensions has reduced the amount of support that it provides universal credit claimants.
The National Audit Office (NAO), in a report, found that DWP employed on average 2,100 fewer coaches than the estimated number of work coaches needed for the first half of 2024-25.
Between September 2023 to November 2024, more than half (57%) reduced their support of universal credit claimants because the caseloads for work coaches were too high.
In October 2024, the number of claimants who fall into a category where DWP can require them to be supported by a work coach grew to 3 million. This is up from 2.6 millions a year earlier.
Work coaches work directly with claimants, identifying their needs and providing support. The NAO reported that, partly because of funding restrictions, DWP did not have enough work coaches in order to meet demand in all seven regions by 2023-24. DWP faced difficulties in retaining and recruiting work coaches.
The study also revealed significant differences in performance between the seven Jobcentre Regions and 37 districts of DWP. Birmingham and Solihull, at district level had the lowest monthly average into-work rate (5.5%), while Northern Scotland had highest (10.8%).
The government aims to reach 80% employment by 2024. In November, DWP will release its white paper. The plans include creating a careers and jobs service by combining Jobcentres in England with the National Careers Service.
The NAO recommends DWP evaluate the impact of a shortfall of work coaches on Jobcentres ability to provide the level of support intended by people, and use the findings to design its future operating model of employment support.
The DWP also needs to set out what information it will be using to monitor the performance of Jobcentres so it can share best practices from those who are performing well and improve the way it measures and reports results, including factors like sustainability and quality.
Gareth Davies said, “It is vital to boost productivity and reduce economic inactivity that people are helped into work and advance in their careers.
As it implements the government’s plans to reform employment support, DWP must pay attention to the best way it can use its work coaches in order to ensure that the people who need support get it.
The DWP must also evaluate and be transparent on how effective the jobcentres are, as well as the impact their changes have had on the system for employment support.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation stated that the shortfall “undermines government’s commitment to assist disabled people in work, which they used to justify its biggest cuts to disabilities benefits in recent years”.
Iain Porter said, “As we move away from compliance and box-ticking towards personalised and tailored support for those with long-term illness or disability, it is important to have dedicated work coaches who can build relationships based on mutual respect and trust.”
The increase in caseloads led to more than half the Jobcentres reducing their support for job seekers at the end last year. The government needs to explain urgently how it intends to help disabled people find work as long as these shortages of work coaches remain.
A DWP spokesperson stated: “Our Jobcentres have a lot of great work coaches. But they are hindered by a system which is focused too much on checking boxes and monitoring benefits, instead of genuinely helping people get back to work.
We are modernising the Jobcentres by introducing new digital tools and improving the access in order to free up the time of the work coaches as we integrate the National Careers Service with the network.
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