Getting people back into work across local communities: why it is vital JobsPlus continues

By Lynsey Sweeney, Managing Director of Communities That Work 

If this Labour government is serious about getting Britain working again, it has a readymade solution: funding the existing JobsPlus scheme on a long-term basis and looking to expand its success more widely across the UK.

Run as a pilot across ten communities in England, JobsPlus is doing what years of centralised employment schemes have struggled to achieve, namely, helping economically inactive people move into sustainable work within their local communities.

JobsPlus provides support directly in social housing neighbourhoods meaning on-site employment support, community-led engagement, and financial incentives can be offered and targeted towards those who need it. It is local, trusted, and effective.

The results speak for themselves, more than 1,000 residents have already engaged with the programme, with over 270 people moving into work.

These numbers represent people who have been written off by the system, now building confidence, skills and a stable wage.

81% of participants were out of work when they joined the programme. More than a third had caring responsibilities, over a quarter had a long-term health condition, and one in four were aged 16-24.

The importance of this is clear. This government’s ambition of an 80% employment rate cannot be achieved without reaching people who are furthest from the labour market.

Research from the Learning and Work Institute shows that hitting this employment target could deliver £23 billion economically, improve public finances by £8 billion, and widen opportunity across the country. To meet these national targets, local solutions must be a critical focus.

The Get Britain Working White Paper emphasises the use of locally led integrated support that joins up work, health and skills.

We have already seen encouraging steps, such as the expansion of Connect to Work and the co-location of employment advisers in GP surgeries. JobsPlus complements these reforms by embedding employment support directly within communities that will be essential for success.

Long-term evaluations of JobsPlus in the United States show improved employment outcomes for social housing residents, with benefits still demonstrable up to 20 years. In the UK, the interim evaluation by the Institute for Employment Studies points to positive early impacts, including increased employability, confidence, skills and improvements in mental health and wellbeing.

However, for the impact of JobPlus to be fully realised, it needs to be backed by a long-term funding agreement.

Currently, the DWP has in place a short, three-month funding extension beyond March 2026. Whilst this is welcome, securing funding on a long-term basis is vital. It is the only way the excellent work in reconnecting individuals who have disengaged from the labour market across our communities can continue and be enhanced.

It is vital that we avoid uncertainty. Any concerns over the continuation of the programme will lead providers to consider winding down activity early, undermining the outcomes the programme was designed to deliver. In partnership with government, social housing providers need to work together to avoid a stop-start approach is not just inefficient but damaging. Tackling economic inactivity and rebuilding trust in employment support takes time, particularly in communities that have seen initiatives come and go.

JobsPlus was originally intended to run as a five-year programme, allowing proper delivery, learning and evaluation. The final evaluation of JobsPlus, due in spring 2026, will explore the future rollout of the programme. Ending the programme early would tell communities that stability is conditional and success is no guarantee of long-term existence.

JobsPlus is a proven, practical model that works alongside national reforms to deliver real change. DWP has an opportunity to be bold – to back JobPlus for the long-term, to effect transformational change in communities across the country, and to expand the scheme so that more individuals can benefit.

If Ministers want to turn ambition into action, they should commit to JobsPlus for the full five years, and then beyond – making the scheme a real UK employment support success story across all regions and communities.