LONDON, Sept. 10 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
* 25,000 disabled people and those with health conditions or complex barriers to employment are receiving voluntary, personalised, specialist support through Connect to Work, as the second set of official statistics confirms the programme is delivering its aims
* 4,100 people have now moved into employment with the programme's support - as more areas reach full delivery and existing services grow
* Programme remains on track to support around 300,000 people by the end of the decade, as part of the Government's mission to break down barriers to opportunity and move from a welfare state to a working state
Connect to Work launched last year and is delivered across England and Wales, with local areas designing and delivering support that fits their communities, backed by over £1 billion in Government funding over this parliament.
Participants - who don't need to be receiving benefits - can access intensive, one-to-one support from specialist advisers who work around them, meeting in GP surgeries, local cafes, parks or community hubs, wherever feels right for the individual.
The latest data published today shows the programme is on course to support 300,000 people by the end of the decade with delivery ramping up following the full roll-out to every area in the country in July 2026.
* Between April 2025 and end of June 2026, 25,000 participants started on the programme, compared to 14,000 from April 2025 to March 2026.
* 4,100 of those who were out-of-work started in a job, thanks to the programme, more than double from the previous release.
* Between April 2025 and June 2026, over a quarter of people who received Connect to Work support were aged 16 to 24.
It's part of the Government's commitment to drive growth in every postcode, moving from a welfare state to a working state by fixing the broken system it inherited, with 2.7 million people currently out of work due to ill-health.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:
For too long, disabled people and those with health conditions have been denied the support they needed to work - written off by a system that left them behind.
Connect to Work is changing that. It's proof that when we trust local areas to design support around their own communities, it works.
Today's figures show the programme delivering real results - more people helped, more people finding jobs, and driving growth in every postcode across the country.
Connect to Work Advisers take time to understand each person's health condition, complex barriers and circumstances, then work with them to remove whatever stands in the way of work, including by:
* matching people to jobs that suit their skills, individual needs and circumstances
* providing practical skills support, such as CV writing, to help people get into and progress at work
* working directly with employers to recruit and retain disabled workers
* continuing to offer support once participants are in work, to help them thrive in their role
Nick, Connect to Work participant said:
I've been out of work for nearly 14 years due to mental health. The death of my Father, followed by a relationship break down not long afterwards sent me on a downwards spiral and I had no-one to talk to.
I knew something had to change. I wanted to get back to work and with my Employment Specialist's, Michelle's help, I have already achieved so much in 6 weeks. I have passed my first exam and have a second coming up and have applied for a job. Onwards and upwards!
Connect to Work is devolution in action, with local areas - from mayoral strategic authorities to county and district councils - shaping delivery to suit their own communities, rather than a one-size-fits-all model.
Councillor Peter Harris, Leader of Essex County Council, said:
We are proud to be one of the country's leading Connect to Work delivery areas. The programme is making a real difference across Essex, helping residents overcome barriers and move into sustainable employment.
The success of the programme shows what can be achieved when support is shaped around local needs and delivered by local partners.
As Essex moves towards devolution, this approach will become even more important in helping us build the skilled workforce our growing economy needs.
It sits at the heart of the Government's wider £3.5 billion employment support package, providing personalised health and employment support for hundreds of thousands of disabled people and people with health conditions to move closer to work.
This package includes the national expansion of WorkWell backed by £259 million, helping up to 250,000 people with health conditions to stay in or return to work. The Government has also deployed 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers who've already helped hundreds of thousands of people the previous Government wrote off.
The Government is also investing £2.5 billion into a youth employment package which will support almost one million young people and open up 500,000 opportunities to earn or learn over three years - spreading opportunity to every postcode.
Additional information
* Connect to Work Official Statistics are published onGOV.UKand will be published quarterly.
* Data covers activity from April 2025 to end June 2026 across England and Wales - during this period delivery was rolling out and ramping up.
* The published data reports delivery on the 46 Connect to Work delivery areas that were open to participants by end June 2026. Of these, only 28 areas have delivery data for six months or more.
* Data for Greater Manchester Mayoral Strategic Authority is not included as they are using their Connect to Work funding to pilot their Prevention Demonstrator, via their Integrated Settlement, so there are differences in programme funding and structure.
* The total funding confirmed to local areas for Connect to Work is £1.2bn; £1.1bn to England and £64.1m to Wales.
* Connect to Work runs across England and Wales. The programme is being delivered through 48 Delivery Areas*.
Programme rollout:
Date area opened to first participant starts**
Connect to Work Delivery Areas
28/04/2025
Greater London - West London Alliance
16/06/2025
East Sussex
30/06/2025
Kent & Medway
01/07/2025
Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire
14/07/2025
Greater Lancashire
21/07/2025
Greater London - Central London Forward
01/08/2025
South Yorkshire
11/08/2025
Greater Essex
01/09/2025
Greater London - Local London, Solent
22/09/2025
The Marches
30/09/2025
West Midlands Combined Authority
01/10/2025
Suffolk, Worcestershire, Northeast
14/10/2025
Warwickshire
15/10/2025
Surrey
03/11/2025
West Sussex & Brighton, South Midlands
12/11/2025
Devon, Plymouth and Torbay and Oxfordshire
19/11/2025
Norfolk
24/11/2025
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent
02/12/2025
Greater London - South London Partnership
12/12/2025
South West Wales
15/12/2025
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
05/01/2026
Cumbria
12/01/2026
Tees Valley, Mid Wales
19/01/2026
Hampshire, Swindon and Wiltshire, Cheshire and Warrington
26/01/2026
Berkshire
16/02/2026
West Yorkshire
02/03/2026
East Midlands
06/03/2026
Greater Lincolnshire, Liverpool City Region
10/03/2026
York and North Yorkshire
17/03/2026
West of England
23/03/2026
Dorset
30/03/2026
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
02/03/2026
Cambridge and Peterborough
01/04/2026
Buckinghamshire
18/05/2026
Somerset
19/05/2026
North Wales
03/07/2026
South East Wales ***
20/07/2026
Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire ***
*The Greater Manchester Combined Authority is included as a Connect to Work delivery area does not feature in statistical releases as they are using their Connect to Work funding to pilot their Prevention Demonstrator via their Integrated Settlement.
**This is the date a Connect to Work service opened for participants in that area. Many Connect to Work areas have chosen a phased approach to opening their services, to fit with other local provision and ensure effective roll out. Local services may become fully operational across the area at a later date than listed here, depending on local plans
*** This area opened for participants in July and therefore is not covered in this release.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
