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<p>The Government has an ambitious objective to see 1 million more disabled people
in work by 2027. We are committed to supporting long-term incapacity benefit claimants
into work.</p><p> </p><p>With effect from April 2017, we introduced the Personal Support
Package for claimants on Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit throughout
the Jobcentre Plus network. This initiative is expanding and improving the help we
offer to those with disabilities and health conditions. It offers support for ESA
and UC claimants to prepare for, find and enter work, but also ensures that we have
enough work coaches and advisers to provide that support.</p><p> </p><p>The Work and
Health Programme (WHP) was launched throughout England and Wales on a rolling basis
between November 2017 and March 2018 and will provide innovative support for around
275,000 people over five years.</p><p> </p><p>The third set of experimental WHP statistics
was published on 30 May 2019, and found that 78% of starts were people with a health
condition or disability, 9% were people in an early access priority group and 13%
were long-term unemployed. Although it’s still very early in the life of WHP, as of
February 2019 3,140 participants had achieved a Job Outcome. From the December 2017
cohort, who had received 14 months of support, 23% have achieved a Job Outcome.</p><p>
</p><p>Access to Work continues to offer eligible individuals practical advice and
a discretionary grant of up to £59,200 per year to fund support above the level of
an employer’s statutory obligation to make reasonable adjustments, and this can communication
support at interviews for people moving into work.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of
State for Work and Pensions announced in December 2018 that we would be investing
more than £40m in the new Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme (IPES),
a highly personalised package of support for disabled people who are at least a year
away from moving into work. IPES is expected to be in place by the end of 2019 and
run for a period of 4 years from the start of the contract. IPES will provide support
for around 2,500 starts per year, totalling 10,000 on the programme.</p>
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