10 September 2007 – Crusade for full-employment: In work credit to be extended nationwide
Lone parents across the country are to receive the £40-a-week In Work Credit to help ease their transition from benefits to work as part of a new range of measure to help them back into employment, the Prime Minister announced today at the TUC Conference in Brighton.
Following successful pilots, from next year it will be rolled out across the UK with parents in London receiving £60 per week. Allied to this lone parents will now be guaranteed a job interview if they take steps to find work including participating in sessions with employers that will help them develop the skills required to find work.
A series of additional financial measures were announced to ensure that it pays to go back to work.
The Prime Minister said:
“I am announcing measures to fast track thousands more into jobs that are vacant. To guarantee for the first time a job interview for every lone parent in this country who is looking for work and is ready for work.
“A new deal whereby prospective employees are invited in to the workplace for on-site discussions.
“A new financial offer guaranteeing to pay 6 weeks of benefits during a work trial for all lone parents, where training is required a training allowance of at least £400 and for the first year £40 a week extra - £60 a week in London - ensuring that work always pays.”
Peter Hain added:
“We have more lone parents in work than ever before, but that is still some way behind our European counterparts. By making the In Work Credit national, we are reaffirming our commitment to helping the country’s lone parents into work. We know that work is the best route out of poverty and that parents want to provide for their family and I want to provide them with every opportunity to get into work.”
The Prime Minister also confirmed plans to help 250,000 people into jobs through the Local Employment Partnerships (LEP) with over 60 of Britain's major employers committing themselves to helping some of the country's most disadvantaged people such as lone parents or people on inactive benefits get back into work.
A further 150 companies are in discussion with Government about playing their part in LEPs.
The Prime Minister said:
"For decades the barrier to workers being in work was the lack of jobs. Today with these two thirds of a million vacancies, the bigger barrier to full employment is not the lack of jobs but the lack of skills - and the lack of links between employers who need workers and workers who need jobs.
“We are talking to 200 of Britain’s largest companies and I can announce that 64 of the best known - from Sainsburys in retail to HBOS and RBS in banking and finance, and to Travelodge and Compass in hospitality - have already committed to take on, train up and offer job opportunities to British men and women who today are inactive or unemployed.”
Secretary of State, Peter Hain said:
"Full employment is within our grasp. I am delighted that so many of the country's leading companies are joining with us in this crusade to ensure that nobody is left behind. This unique partnership of government and business will help lift thousands of people who have perhaps given up on the idea that work is for them into employment and careers."
Notes to editors
- The Prime Minister was speaking at the TUC Conference in Brighton. The speech can be found at: www.pm.gov.uk
- The 64 major employers who have committed themselves to LEPs are:
Adecco
Alliance Boots
Asda
Aviance UK
B&Q
Birds Eye
Birmingham City Council
Carillion
CCS Recruitment Solutions
Centrica
City Facilities Management
Comet
Compass
Co-Op
Coventry City Council
De Vere Group
Debenhams
Diageo
DSGI
DWP
First Group
Friends Provident
G4S Securicor
Gala Coral Group
Glasgow City Council
Greggs
Halfords
HBOS
Home Office
Home Retail Group
Intercontinental Hotel Group
JD Wetherspoons
John Lewis
Leonard Cheshire Homes
Marks and Spencer
McDonalds
Methodist Homes for the Aged
Middlesbrough City Council
National Express
Network Rail
NHS Wales
North Glamorgan NHS Trust
OCS Group
Primark
Randstad
Rank Group
RBS
Reliance
Royal Mail
Sainsbury
Securitas
Serco
Servisair
Somerset County Council
Spirit Group
Standard Life
Tesco
Transport for London
Travelodge
Vodafone Group Services Ltd
Waitrose
West Lothian Council
Whitbread
Wilkinsons