Connect to Work enrolment falls short of revised first-year target
Labour’s Connect to Work scheme recruited 13,900 people in its first year, well below its original target of 33,623 and the reduced target of 17,954. The shortfall raises questions about whether the £1.2 billion programme can meet its ambition to support 300,000 people with long-term health conditions into work by the end of the decade.
Launched in November 2024, the scheme offers employment help to people who are sick or disabled and have been out of work. The Department for Work and Pensions said 25,000 participants had started between April last year and June this year, with 15,000 joining from March to June, and expects participation to increase.
In short
- Connect to Work recruited 13,900 people in its first year.
- It missed both its original and revised targets.
- Ministers say participation is increasing.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The first-year shortfall may reflect the time needed to establish a new scheme and recruit people who face significant health-related barriers to work. The Department says participation is rising, and the programme’s longer-term ambition could still be achievable if local delivery improves and support reaches those who need it.
The case against
Recruiting 13,900 people falls well below even the revised target of 17,954, raising concerns about delivery and whether the programme can meet its commitment to support 300,000 people by the end of the decade. The shortfall may indicate that the scheme is not reaching enough eligible people or that its implementation needs substantial improvement.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Labour’s £1billion back-to-work scheme fails to hit even half its target as long-term jobless refuse to sign up”.