The government’s £338m ‘Connect to Work’ programme has been criticised by business leaders who say it is ‘another band-aid on a fundamentally broken system that expects sick and disabled people to adapt, rather than workplaces to change’
The government has chosen Croydon Council to lead on the delivery of its £18.4million “Connect to Work” programme for five south London boroughs.
Feel the benefits: government changes will reduce financial support for the sick and disabled
Connect to Work is a £338million scheme in 15 areas across England intended to deliver localised, tailored support to more than 85,000 people who are sick, disabled or face complex barriers to work.
In south London, around 4,800 people are to be supported into what the Department for Work and Pensions describes as “good jobs”, in Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Croydon.
Sarah Jones, the MP for Croydon West and a junior industry minister in Keir Starmer’s government, said she is “really delighted by this news”.
Welfare reforms, including the Universal Credit Act, became law on Wednesday. The Universal Credit Act ensures the basic universal credit allowance will rise with inflation until 2029-2030, but the health component for new claimants will be reduced from April 2026 and frozen until 2030, except for severe or terminal conditions.
But business leaders have expressed scepticism about the government’s scheme, suggesting that the wrong areas of the jobs market are being targeted.
“It’s another band-aid on a fundamentally broken system that expects sick and disabled people to adapt, rather than workplaces to change,” one employer said.
“This programme assumes disabled people are the problem. Intensive coaching won’t help if workplaces remain inflexible about hours and communication support, where Access to Work funding has been slashed and while employers see adjustments as expensive hassles.
“Someone who needs frequent hospital appointments will not be seen as reliable. Until we stop forcing people into systems that weren’t designed for them, these programmes will keep recycling the same people through the same failures.”
And another business leader said: “The government’s latest big and bright idea assumes someone with cancer or another illness doesn’t want to work. They do. It’s other areas of the recruitment strategy that need overhauling.”
‘Proud to support this initiative’: Croydon West MP Sarah Jones has welcomed the government’s Connect to Work scheme
But MP Jones said: “Too many people in Croydon face real barriers to finding secure, fulfilling work – whether due to ill-health, disability, or complex personal circumstances.
“Connect to Work will provide the specialist, one-to-one support people need to overcome those challenges and access good jobs. By helping residents into work, this programme will not only transform individual lives but also strengthen our local economy.”
The support provided under the scheme includes individual coaching from employment specialists, job-matching services and ongoing support for both participants and employers to ensure sustainable employment outcomes.
In all around 300,000 people across all of England and Wales are set to benefit over the next five years. To access support, sick and disabled people and those facing complex barriers to work can be referred through healthcare professionals, local authorities and voluntary sector partners, or they can self-refer.
With 2.8million people out of work due to ill-health – one of the highest rates in the G7 of largest economies – the government wants to deliver an 80% employment rate by overhauling jobcentres, tackling economic inactivity and deliveri a “Youth Guarantee” so every young person is either earning or learning.
Among those out of work, more than 25% cite sickness as a barrier, up from 10% in 2012, which the government says highlights the urgent need for employment support that removes barriers faced by disabled people and those with health conditions.
The government has a £3.8billion employment support package for sick or disabled people, as part of what it calls the Plan for Change.
South London’s £18.4million fund appears modest compared to the £42.8million allocated earlier this year in west London, which aims to assist 10,800 people, some of whom the DWP says are already finding work.
“I am proud to support this initiative as part of the government’s wider commitment to get Britain working again,” said MP Jones.
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Croydon Council is going to lead on delivery of this scheme? They really are making quite sure that this fiasco is going to fail.