Building 'working links'

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A gathering of parliamentarians have been informed that there is a "great buzz" around the welfare to work agenda in the new Parliament, at a reception discussing the challenges facing the employment and skills sector.

Speaking at a Working Links parliamentary reception, Commons work and pensions committee chair Anne Begg said the new government has the "same rhetoric", whether a good or a bad thing, to get people in to work.

The Labour MP for Aberdeen South noted the marked improvements by the previous government on welfare, in particular an increase in those on disability benefits and a reduction on the number "sitting on those benefits".

She said there was "some good news but also lessons to be learnt"; in particular stopping people from falling out of work in the first place.

Begg told the audience that as soon as an individual ends up out of work and on benefits "it is probably ten times more difficult for those, in particular with a health issue, to get back in to work".

The work and pensions select committee chair stated the need for better childcare and better occupational health, "all of those things making it possible for people not to lose the jobs that they are in".

She said: "We do know if you want to get a better job it's much better than if you are in one, than if you are out of work."

A lot of work that needs to be done once people are out of work is with individuals, something that Working Links is good at, she said, "helping individuals over come the barriers to get back in to work".

She said a big challenge will be "payment by results", as no one will be likely to be paid for the first 18 months, it will rule out some of the small providers.

Begg also noted her concerns of the proposed changes to housing benefit.

"There is an important job that has to be done – nobody but nobody should be on benefit when they don’t need to be, but we do know that people need extra help and support, we know that costs money," she said.

Begg concluded that in the financial stricken times the government faces, her big fear is that that money will not be available and "some of the good work of the past might go by the board".

She said: "I hope that a lot of the lessons that have been learnt will be put in to place and the new work programme will deliver."

In his welcoming remarks, Working Links commercial director, Brian Bell referred to the current importance of the employment and skills arena.

He said there had not been such level of interest in the welfare to work space since the last change in government.

The reception allowed parliamentarians the opportunity to meet with representatives from Working Links to learn about the opportunities they can provide to the socially disadvantaged in their constituencies.

Working Links is an organisation working with people from deprived communities to address the challenges faced by long-term unemployed people and to find work.

The group has helped more than 140,000 people find work in the last decade, by supporting them into sustainable employment.