To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to allow people to move from unemployment to work without losing income. (187312)

The design of the tax and benefits system ensures that in the majority of circumstances individuals are financially better off in work. Our plans for building on our successful welfare to work policies are set out in Ready for work: full employment in our generation, which is available in the Library.

This includes the introduction of our new Better off in Work Credit which will allow us to assure qualifying customers that if they move into full-time employment their income from work, including in-work benefits, will be at least £25 a week more than the income they received from out of work benefits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform about the role of employers in relation to Government policy to move benefit claimants into employment. (190334)

I talk regularly with my ministerial colleagues at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on subjects of mutual interest. Employers have an important role to play in opening up job opportunities to benefit claimants and influencing the design of employment and skills policies to ensure they accurately respond to the needs of the local labour market.

For example, Local Employment Partnerships aim to secure a stronger commitment from employers to recruit from those who face the greatest barriers to finding work.