Official statistics on the number of participants in Jobcentre Plus and provider-led pathways to work are available up to January 2009. The figures are to be found at annex A in the report “Jobcentre Plus Pathways to Work Official Statistics”, June 2009 and annex A in “Provider-Led Pathways to Work Official Statistics”, July 2009. These reports can be accessed at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/ib_ref_p2w.asp
Copies of these two reports have been placed in the Library.
With the exception of those placed in the support group, all new employment and support allowance customers are required to participate in pathways to work. Those in the support group can volunteer for back-to-work support through pathways to work, as can existing incapacity benefits customers.
Forecasts for the numbers of people expected to reach the main phase of employment and support allowance are available for the years 2009-10 and 2010-11. These can be viewed in table C1: Numbers receiving benefits, 1991-92 to 2010-11 at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp
A copy of the table has been placed in the Library.
These will next be updated at the pre-Budget report. Figures beyond 2010-11 are not provided. Final spending plans for departmental expenditure limits will be set in relation to the final annually managed expenditure forecasts at the time of the next spending review.
These forecasts do not take into account the measures announced in the December 2009 White Paper, Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future. From 2010, all existing incapacity benefits customers will receive personalised back-to-work support, based on the pathways to work model, when they are migrated from incapacity benefits to employment and support allowance.