No one written off consultation – what happened
Independent consultation report
The Green Paper ‘No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility’ was published on 21 July 2008. A three month public consultation period followed, which ended on the 22 October 2008. Responses to the consultation were evaluated by the Department for Work and Pensions and a summary of responses is included as an appendix to the White Paper Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future
Responses were also independently evaluated by GfK NOP Social Research. Their report ‘The Green Paper Consultation: No one written off - reforming welfare to reward responsibility' concluded that most people welcomed welfare reform and recognised the need for change. Their research also found that respondents felt it was essential that the particular needs of different groups of people affected by the reforms were taken into account in implementing Green Paper proposals.
Read the research findings:
- The Green Paper Consultation: No one written off - reforming welfare to reward responsibility (681KB)
Public opinion research
The Green Paper was a wide ranging consultation on the future of welfare. Between August and September 2008, we sought views from the public on a range of the Green Paper proposals. The research was undertaken by GfK NOP Social Research on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
The vast majority of policy propositions included in the research enjoyed high levels of general public support. Participants were particularly positive towards the provision of individual support to help people gain employment such as ‘back-to-work’ action plans to be agreed between employees on sick leave and employers to set out steps needed to support a quick return to work. There was also strong support for the proposition that people on benefits should take part in training and / or community work in return for benefits and a requirement for unemployed drug users to tackle their problems.
Read the research findings:
- Qualitative research report (856KB)
- Quantitative research report (536KB)
- Qualitative research summary report (1.0MB)
Consultation events
The Welfare Reform consultation forums in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Newcastle included a number of workshop sessions. The presentations from those workshops were:
- ESA as an active benefit:supporting disabled people into work (1.9MB)
- Active steps towards work:helping more, expecting more? (86KB)
- Simplifying and streamlining the benefit system (63KB)
- Strategies to increase parental employment; improving the focus on work (179KB)
- Next steps for the work capability assessment (76KB)
- A new way of delivering our services (85KB)
- What do you think the role of employers should be? (1.5MB)
- 24 October – James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, attended the closing Welfare Reform consultation forum in Newcastle. Presentations given by key speakers included: Martin Swales, Strategic Director of Development for North Tyneside Council (346KB) ; and Jacquie Wood, Department for Work and Pensions (166KB) . Professor Paul Gregg also set out the long term vision for the Conditionality Review and welcomed feedback by email to: paul.gregg@dwp.gsi.gov.uk (NB: no presentation is available for Paul Gregg).
- 9 October – Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People, attended the consultation forum on Welfare Reform in Edinburgh. Presentations given by key speakers included: Sheila Riddell, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity (757KB) Gayle Leiper, Employment Opportunities Scotland (228KB) and Gavin Hay, City Building Glasgow LLP (396KB)
- 6 October – Linda Badman, Director for Wales Jobcentre Plus attended the consultation forum on Welfare Reform in Cardiff. Speakers at the event included Professor Mansel Aylward CB, Director, Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Cardiff University & Chair, The Wales Centre for Health (401KB) , Wayne David MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales, and John Griffiths AM, Deputy Minister for Skills, Welsh Assembly Government (please note that there are no presentations for the last two speakers).
- 3 October – James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, met with local stakeholders and visited the ‘Job, Jump, Start’ project which provides training for people to enter employment with the NHS in Aberdeen.
- 19 September – Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, visited Breakthrough UK in Liverpool.
- 19 September – launch of National Action Plan and Welfare Reform consultation forum, Liverpool
- 18 September – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, attended opening of Reed in Partnership, Croydon.
- 17 September – Lord McKenzie of Luton visited A4E to meet local providers working with JCP customers in Yorkshire and Humber.
- 17 September – James Plaskitt MP, met staff and customers at the Jobshop in Birmingham Airport and attended the National Exhibition Centre for a Local Employment Partnerships signing.
- 16 September – James Plaskitt MP visited to Derby. He attended a lone parent options and choices event at a Children's Centre, met with employers signed up to the Local Employment Partnerships and with staff and customers at Disability Direct.
- 16 September – Southwark Independent Living Event
- 15 September – Mike O'Brien Minister of State for Pensions Reform, met staff and customers at the Building One Stop Shop at Suffolk New College
- 15 September – Consultation forum on Welfare Reform, Victoria Park Plaza, London.
- 12 September – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, visited Glasgow West Regeneration Agency.
- 11 September – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, visited Nissan and met employees recruited through the LEP initiative in Newcastle.
- 9 September – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, attended launch of Working Links' Pathways to Work in Leicester.
- 8 September – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, attended signing of LEP agreement and visited YMCA training centre in Cambridge.
- 8 September – James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, visited Smethwick Sure Start Children's Centre, West Midlands.
- 8 September – Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, responded to reader's questions in a webchat on Society Guardian
- 4 September – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, visited Paddington Waterside project
- 2 September – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, visited the Reignite employment and skills project, Medway
- 1 September – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, attended Pathways to Work launch in Ellesmere Port
- 1 September – RADAR debate
- 29 August – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, opened Wembley Works
- 28 August – Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, visited Learning Curve in Acton
- 28 August – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, visited Action for Employment and Southern Way Children's Centre in Plymouth
- 27 August – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, met ex offenders at Station Street Jobcentre and visited HMP Nottingham
- 27 August – Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, visited the Ness Soaps project, Newstart Highland project and Farm to Work project, in Inverness
- 26 August – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, visited Access to Work business centre in Harrow
- 22 August – James Plaskitt visited Wotton Hospital, Gloucester and the Pathways to Work Provider Working Links
- 20 August – Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, visited Highway to Opportunities project, Turning Point and Chadderton Court Social Inclusion Unit in Oldham (links to Guardian website article about the visit)
- 19 August – Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, discussed the Green Paper proposals with listeners of BBC Radio 4 In Touch
- 18 August – Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, answered questions from listeners of BBC Radio 4 You and Yours
- 14 August – James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, replied to feedback on the Netmums website about the government’s proposals for helping mums back to work.
- 13 August – James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, answered questions from the readers of the Halifax Evening Courier, Bristol Evening Post and Glasgow Evening Times
- 7 August – Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, visited Marriott Group Offender Routeway and Shaw Trust Employment Action Centre Horticultural Project in Newcastle.
- 30 July – James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, visited Derbyshire County Council's Adult Learning Project at Gamesley
- 24 July – James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, webchat on The Sun newspaper website
- 23 July – Economic and Social Research Council academics roundtable discussion on Welfare Reform
- 22 July – James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, took part in a webchat on the Number 10 Downing Street website
