Realising Potential: A Vision for Personalised Conditionality and Support
This independent report, produced for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 2 December 2008, by Professor Paul Gregg recommends a single personalised conditionality and support regime, where virtually everyone claiming benefits and not in work should be looking for or engaging in activity to help them move towards employment.
It sets out a number of recommendations that Professor Gregg believes the Government should adopt. This includes a single personalised conditionality and support regime, consisting of three broad groups:
A ‘Work-Ready' group for those who are immediately job-ready. The requirements for this group would largely be based on the current jobseeker's allowance (JSA) regime.
A ‘Progression to Work' group aimed at those where an immediate return to work is not appropriate but is a genuine possibility with time encouragement and support. This should contain people who claim or are entitled to employment and support allowance (ESA) but who are not in the Support Group, lone parents with a youngest child aged between one and seven, and partners with a youngest child aged between one and seven. The requirements for this group will:
reflect the claimant’s co-ownership of the return to work process;
be tailored to their capability and built around their circumstances;
be based on activity that supports the clients own path to work; and
link up with effective support.
A 'No Conditionality' group, which would not be required to undertake work-related activity or take steps back to work. This would consist of the current Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) support group, lone parents and partners with a youngest child under the age of one, and carers.
The report also considers the role of sanctions, which should be:
Made more responsive by devolving decision-making for some key decisions around attending interviews, supported by the introduction of tighter rules around good cause for those not attending and a new ‘notification’ principle;
Made clearer through the introduction of an early warning system, better communication and, over the longer-term, a move towards a system of fixed fines; and
Better able to deal with repeat offenders through the introduction over the longer-term of a clearer set of processes, with a stronger approach based around mandatory activity for those found to be playing the system.
The report finds that the Government should consider whether the support currently on offer is sufficient to underpin the vision, given the widening group of individuals being brought into the personalised conditionality regime, including :
Exploring how multi-client contracts can be used to deliver provision based on need rather than what benefit people are on, with an appropriate pricing structure to decrease incentives for parking;
Considering how to deliver work experience programmes, particularly for those further from the labour market. These need to build in help with jobsearch and wider support rather than be delivered as a pure Workfare type scheme;
Ensuring that existing childcare commitments are delivered on the ground;
Building support to ensure that people not only move into work, but also stay and progress once in work. In particular to continue to test and evaluate the ideas tried in the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) pilots and to roll out the approach nationally once the right cost effective mix has been found;
Considering the appropriate package for young people, to ensure that the majority in this age group gain the necessary skills and qualifications both before work and in work.
You can view the full report on the DWP website from the links below.
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