Our response to the release of official Work Programme figures

We have today responded to the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) release of official data from the Work Programme.  

Sir Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of NCVO, said:

‘The release of these figures is an important step towards building a fuller picture of how the Work Programme is working on the ground. The lack of data available has been a significant concern for us for many months and any efforts to get more information into the public domain will help. However, the number of referrals to the customer groups more traditionally associated with voluntary sector provision appear low, reinforcing fears of our special interest group that some customers are being deprived of the correct level of support needed to make them job-ready.

‘It is disappointing that the referrals data does not drill down further than prime contractor level. We have heard worrying evidence of voluntary sector subcontractors receiving very low levels of referrals, so more thorough data could have really helped to pinpoint whether the sector’s degree of involvement in the Work Programme tallies with previous assurances made by Government.

‘Whilst the data being published today is not as comprehensive as we would like, there is enough information here to suggest that many of the concerns highlighted by our special interest group remain real issues.’

The NCVO special interest group for Work Programme sub-contractors represents voluntary and community organisations involved in the Government’s new welfare-to-work initiative. It enables sub-contractors to share their experiences, provides information and advice, and enables us to feed concerns to Government. The group is open to all voluntary organisations who act as sub-contractors in the Work Programme, and there are currently 150 organisations in its membership. Find out more about the special interest group and how you can join.

View the Work Programme data on the DWP website.