Helping those with health conditions and disabilities back to work
Thursday, 21 June 2007Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, today announced that Pathways to Work will be rolled out across Northern Ireland by April of next year.
Pathways to Work is an inter-departmental initiative designed to help people with health conditions or with disabilities make better decisions about work. It has been piloted in various areas of Northern Ireland since October 2005 and to date over 800 people have found work through the initiative. There have been increases in the rate of off-flow from incapacity benefits of around 16% in early pilot areas.
During a visit to Enniskillen today, the Minister met Pathways to Work Personal Advisers and health service professionals involved in delivering innovative programmes aimed at helping people understand and manage their health conditions, in the context of preparing for work.
Commenting on the early evidence that Pathways to Work is transforming the lives of people who may have become dependent on welfare, the Minister said: “It has long been acknowledged that the best route out of poverty and social exclusion is through work. Pathways to Work is clearly providing the support that will help many, who have manageable health conditions and disabilities, to move into suitable work and away from welfare dependency.”
Announcing plans for roll-out of the initiative, Sir Reg said: “My Department has secured resources to ensure that everyone in Northern Ireland can benefit from the support that Pathways to Work provides. By April of next year it will be available to everyone whether they are making a new claim to an incapacity benefit or whether they are an existing claimant and wish to volunteer for the help on offer. This initiative has already proved that it can improve the lives of many people and their families. I believe that it also has wider benefits for society and the economy as a whole.”
The Pathways to Work initiative is delivered jointly by the Department for Employment and Learning, the Social Security Agency within the Department for Social Development and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA welcomed the announcement. She said: “I have been impressed by the ability of the staff in three different Departments with very different and wide-ranging responsibilities to work together to deliver this important initiative, which begins with a claim to an incapacity benefit. My Department is determined to reduce poverty and social exclusion. Helping people to move from benefits into work is one of the best ways to achieve this.
“Of course, it is important to remember that for some people, particularly those with more severe conditions, a return to work will not be an option. The Social Security Agency will, of course, ensure that those people get all the financial support to which they are entitled.”
Commenting on today’s announcement, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said : “I welcome Sir Reg Empey’s announcement today. My Department is involved in developing and delivering one of the most innovative components of the Pathways to Work initiative – ‘The Condition Management Programme’. This programme, as its name suggests, is designed to help people with mild to moderate health conditions or disabilities better understand their condition and to develop strategies for managing that condition in the context of work. Early indications are that it is having considerable success in changing peoples’ thinking about what they can and cannot do in the context of work.”
Notes to Editors:
1. Pathways to Work aims to help people with health problems or disabilities into work. It provides a new and comprehensive framework of practical and financial help and support to people with health and disability related barriers to employment.
2. In Northern Ireland there are around 117,000 people receiving Incapacity Benefits. This represents 10.67% of the working age population.
3. Pathways to Work has been available in Northern Ireland since October 2005. A schedule of locations and relevant dates is attached.
4. The Pathways to Work process includes faster Incapacity Benefit claims processing, to allow claimants to then concentrate on the work focused elements of the service, which are delivered by specially trained personal advisers. These are:
- a better framework of work-focused interviews for all new claimants (up to 6 rather than current practice which provides 1 interview only);
- improved referrals to Disablement Employment Programmes;
- new work-focused rehabilitation programmes (Condition Management Programmes) delivered in partnership with the Health Service;
- clearer incentives to try work, including a new Return to Work Credit of £40.00 per week and
- better support for those moving off incapacity benefits onto Jobseeker’s Allowance.
5. Although the series of interviews is mandatory for most clients, the Pathways Personal Adviser has the discretion to waive or defer them if appropriate. All the choices on offer are entirely voluntary and clients are not put under pressure to participate in any of the options or forced into undertaking any activity.
6. An interim evaluation of the pilot will commence in August 2007.
7. Media enquiries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872.
Pathways to work in Northern Ireland
Location commencement date:
Ballymoney October 2005
Magherafelt October 2005
Lurgan October 2005
Enniskillen April 2006
Newry April 2006
Newtownabbey April 2006
Londonderry:
Foyle October 2006
Lisnagelvin October 2006
Belfast:
Falls October 2006
Shankill October 2006
Knockbreda April 2007
Shaftsbury Sq. April 2007
Lisburn April 2007
Limavady April 2007
Roll out will be in three further phases as below:
29 October 2007
Andersonstown JobCentre
North Belfast JobCentre
Holywood Road Jobs & Benefits office
Armagh Jobs & Benefits office
Dungannon Jobs & Benefits office
Omagh Jobs & Benefits office
28 January 2008
Antrim Jobs & Benefits office
Ballymena JobCentre
Carrick Jobs & Benefits office
Coleraine Jobs & Benefits office
Larne Jobs & Benefits office
Strabane JobCentre
Cookstown JobCentre
28 April 2008
Bangor JobCentre
Newtownards JobCentre
Downpatrick JobCentre
Ballynahinch JobCentre
Newcastle JobCentre
Kilkeel Jobs & Benefits office
Banbridge Jobs & Benefits office
Portadown Jobs & Benefits office
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