Billions pledged but questions remain
Thousands of sick and disabled people in the Midlands are to be offered tailored help to get back into work under a Government plan that ministers say will tackle rising economic inactivity.
The Connect to Work programme, announced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), will expand to 15 areas across England, backed by £338 million in funding. It forms part of a wider £3.8 billion package to help up to 300,000 people over the next five years.
For the Midlands, this means nearly £70 million of investment across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, plus a further £23.4 million for Greater Lincolnshire. Around 20,000 people in the region are expected to benefit.
Tackling rising worklessness
The UK now has 2.8 million people out of work due to ill-health – one of the highest rates in the G7. In 2012, only one in ten unemployed people cited sickness as the reason; today, it is more than one in four.
The DWP argues the scheme will make a dent in these numbers by offering one-to-one coaching, job matching and in-work support for those with health conditions or complex barriers. People can self-refer or be directed through GPs, councils and charities.
Work and Pensions Secretary at the time, Liz Kendall said: “For too long, millions of people have been denied the support they need to get back to health and back to work.” She claimed the expansion would “move people out of poverty and into good, secure jobs.”
Hopes and doubts in the midlands
Local leaders have cautiously welcomed the focus on regional delivery, with councils and combined authorities set to take the lead in shaping programmes. The Local Government Association said a locally designed model was more likely to succeed.
But questions remain about whether the investment is enough to shift long-term patterns of worklessness. Critics point out that previous back-to-work schemes have had mixed results, often struggling to deliver lasting outcomes for people with serious health conditions.
There are also concerns that the support could come alongside pressure on people to move off benefits, especially given the Government’s simultaneous reforms to Universal Credit. From next year, the system will rebalance health-related payments and reduce the top-up for new claims, while raising the basic allowance.
Economic renewal or headline grab?
In the Midlands, where sectors like advanced manufacturing and logistics face labour shortages, the scheme could help fill vacancies. Advocates say it could also reduce pressure on NHS and council services if fewer people are trapped out of work due to ill-health.
Yet some disability campaigners warn that without deeper investment in health services, housing and long-term skills training, the impact may be limited. They argue that treating work as the solution risks overlooking the barriers created by poor health infrastructure and patchy local provision.
The Government insists Connect to Work is about breaking down those barriers. Ministers point to pilot areas such as West London and South Yorkshire where participants have already moved into jobs.
Whether the Midlands programme can replicate that success will be closely watched – not least in areas like Stoke-on-Trent and Shropshire, where levels of economic inactivity remain stubbornly above the national average.
As one local cllr put it privately: “The funding is welcome, but the test will be whether this is a sticking plaster or a real shift in how we support people who’ve been written off by the system for too long.”
