11 Accepted

Redeployment of work coaches for health conditions reduces support for other Universal Credit claimants.

Conclusion
In March 2025, the government published a green paper, Pathways to Work, which set out proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support, with the aim of providing tailored employment, health and skills support for claimants with a work-limiting health condition or disability.21 The Department plans to redeploy 1,000 existing work coaches in 2025–26 to provide intensive employment support to around 65,000 people with health conditions and disabilities.22 We asked the Department to what extent will the redeployment of 1,000 work coaches result in a further reduction in support available for other Universal Credit claimants. The Department acknowledged that the redeployment does do that.23 The impact of reductions in work coach support
Government Response Summary
The government states that its Pathways to Work green paper and Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by significant funding, will support employment for people with health conditions and disabilities. It will publish annual progress updates against intermediate metrics, with the first update in Autumn 2025.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 Through the Get Britain Working White Paper, the department has already set out a roadmap for how the government’s long-term ambition of achieving an 80% employment rate will be realised. Pathways to Work will contribute to this ambition by supporting disabled people and people with long-term health conditions into, or toward, employment, backed by £1 billion a year of funding by 2030 and a total of £2.2 billion over four years. 6.3 Coordinated cross-government action is key to this long-term ambition. The department’s reforms sit alongside wider government initiatives, including the launch of Skills England to create a shared national plan to boost the nation’s skills, creating more good jobs through the modern Industrial Strategy, strengthening employment rights through the Plan to Make Work Pay and creating a National Health Service fit for the future through the 10 Year Health Plan for England. 6.4 Alongside the headline outcome of an 80% employment rate, the department has published a set of intermediate metrics. The department will publish annual progress updates against these, with the first update in Autumn 2025. The department will know its plan is working when it sees improvements in these metrics, which include:
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age 1.1 yr
Report published 02 Jul 2025