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<p>The UK employment support offer has several elements: a mixture of jobcentre support,
national contracted provision and local contracted or grant-funded provision. The
Restart scheme is nationally contracted provision for the long-term unemployed in
England and Wales and sits alongside a variety of services that support jobseekers
to find and progress in work.</p><p> </p><p>Restart supports those who have been out
of work for nine months or more and may benefit from more intensive support than the
core JCP offer. Restart seeks to address some of the acknowledged barriers that long-term
unemployed people face which may include awareness of current job-seeking approaches,
ongoing health conditions, perceptions around confidence or lack of relevant skills.</p><p>
</p><p>The Department has previously published evidence on support for the long term
unemployed. The Work Programme Impact Assessment, published in November 2020 and was
used to inform the business case for Restart: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-work-programme-impact-assessment"
target="_blank">The Work Programme: impact assessment - GOV.UK.</a></p><p> </p><p>As
part of the Restart scheme for the long term unemployed, the department is carrying
out a full evaluation to assess the impact of the programme on job outcomes, earnings,
and intermediate outcomes such as improvements in confidence, well-being and job-searching
skills. Evidence gathered is being fed back into service delivery and future policy
development.</p><p> </p><p>From Restart’s launch to the end of April 2023, 450,000
people had started on the programme so far, with 150,000 of those achieving first
earnings from employment, and 84,000 achieving a job outcome representing sustained
employment.</p><p> </p><p>Additional support for 50+ long term unemployed (LTU) customers
was announced in September 2022 as part of the Growth Plan. This will provide access
to additional intensive support for long-term unemployed jobseekers in jobcentres
across Great Britain.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, the Government recognises the important
role that childcare plays for parents seeking or trying to stay in work which is why
this year’s Spring Budget saw generous additional financial support for parents on
Universal Credit. These changes include a 47% rise in the monthly maximum amounts
that parents can be reimbursed for their childcare costs - now £951 a month for families
with one child and £1630 for families with two or more children. Importantly, additional
financial help with upfront childcare costs is now also being made available for parents
moving into work or increasing their hours, removing a crucial barrier for many.</p>
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