Committee publication · Report · 23 June 2026 · HC 77
Large Print – 1st Report – Employment support for disabled people: Connect to Work
Summary
The Work and Pensions Committee's first report on Connect to Work, the government's £1.23bn employment support programme for disabled people launched in October 2024, welcomes the programme's design but identifies significant implementation challenges. Aiming to support 300,000 economically inactive people over five years through voluntary local authority delivery, Connect to Work represents an evolution in employment support grounded in evidence-based models. However, early rollout has been hampered by administrative complexity, inconsistent DWP guidance, and variable operational support, creating uncertainty about consistency and quality across 47 delivery areas.
Key findings
- Connect to Work is grounded in internationally recognised supported employment models (Individual Placement and Support and Supported Employment Quality Framework) with strong evidence of effectiveness, including sustainment rates of 76–88% compared to lower national averages.
- Early implementation was significantly challenged by administrative complexity, protracted delivery plan approval processes (some requiring seven submissions), inconsistent DWP guidance, and variable support from Regional Engagement Leads, slowing programme mobilisation.
- The devolved local commissioning model risks creating variation between areas, potentially disadvantaging smaller specialist providers over larger generalist organisations and creating inconsistent experiences for participants.
- Concerns about workforce capacity and access to specialist employment support skills underscore the need for coordinated workforce planning and development across local authorities.
- Mixed public messaging on long-term funding and potential funding gaps between programmes risk undermining confidence in the system at a critical early stage; clarity beyond the current Spending Review period is essential.
Recommendations
- DWP should provide an update on programme mobilisation, including agreement of delivery plans and steps taken to reduce delays, and set out lessons learned that could be applied to similar employment support programmes.
- DWP should continue strengthening central systems, digital infrastructure and assurance processes to ensure consistent and reliable support for local delivery.
- DWP should adopt a clearer and more coordinated approach to workforce planning and development to address concerns about specialist skills capacity.
- Government should provide a sustained commitment to Connect to Work extending beyond the current Spending Review period to provide certainty across the system and build trust with participants.
- The committee intends to revisit the balance between flexibility, consistency and timely delivery within one year to assess whether DWP has appropriately implemented the programme.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Debbie Abrahams, Dame Diana Johnson, Angus Gray, Laura Davies, Department for Work and Pensions, Work and Pensions Committee, Local authorities, British Association for Supported Employment
Notable line
“… mixed public messages on funding and the long-term commitment to the programme risks undermining confidence across the system.”
Key Quotes
“I am a strong believer that anybody can work with the right job and support. I fundamentally disagree with this idea that we have some people who are employable and some who are not.”
“For me, knowing disabled people is one thing, but having the right set of values that underpins a different way of working with people is more 25 The British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) is a national membership charity that promotes and supports the …”
“The delivery plan submission process was protracted and administratively burdensome. Following submissions, there were extended periods of delay with key information and feedback provided to us at a late stage.”
“ESD0125 ) 28 created the sense that there was limited trust in local authorities, despite our long track record of delivering complex programmes".”
“This is one of the things I am keen for the evaluation to draw out—whether there are any observable differences between the different [commissioning] models—because it is a feature, not a bug.”
“It is fair to say that this is the first time the DWP has done it this way and it has been a learning process.”
“That is why, rightly, Connect to Work has an SEQF fidelity model. For example, learning disabilities and autism has been tested occasionally with IPS, but it does not work or fit terribly well. SEQF is tailor-made there.”
“The webinars were poorly presented and presenters were unable to answer too many questions.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗