2000 People find pathway to work

An employment initiative designed to help people with health conditions or disabilities move closer to the labour market or employment, today celebrated helping 2,000 people into employment.

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.

Employment Minister, Sir Reg Empey, welcomed the news and spoke of the potential offered by Pathways to transform the lives of people who have become, or are at risk of becoming dependent on welfare. He said: “For most people, the best route out of poverty and social exclusion is through work. Pathways to Work is providing the support that is assisting many, who have manageable health conditions and disabilities, to move into employment and away from welfare dependency.”

The initiative was rolled out across Northern Ireland in April 2008, after a successful 18 month pilot period. Sir Reg continued: “When I announced the final roll-out of Pathways to the whole of Northern Ireland in April, I reported that 1,300 people had been helped to find work during the Pathways pilot phase. We have now hit the 2,000 mark, 700 extra people into employment in just four months. This indicates that the programme is fulfilling its potential to improve the lives of many people and their families and this in turn will benefit society and the economy as a whole.”

Speaking today, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey MLA said: “I am glad that Pathways to Work is proving so successful. My Department has been closely involved in developing one of the key 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.”

Social Development Minister, Margaret Richie MLA, also welcomed that Pathways to Work is available province-wide. 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. Along with my colleagues in the NI Executive, I am determined to reduce poverty and social exclusion. Helping people to become economically independent is one of the best ways to achieve this. Pathways to Work is now playing a major role in helping us to achieve these goals”

Notes to Editors:

1. Pathways to Work is designed to help people with health problems or disabilities into work. It provides a 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 over 110,000 people receiving Incapacity Benefits. This represents 10.5% of the working age population. Unfortunately evidence hows that after six months on the benefit the chances of a return to work decline by 50% and after a year on the benefit those chances decline by 75%. Pathways to Work aims to provide the support necessary to improve the prospects of a return to work.

3. The service has been available in parts of Northern Ireland since 3 October 2005 and has been available province-wide since 28 April this year.

4. The Pathways 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 six rather than current practice which is one only);
• improved referrals to Disablement Employment Programmes;
• new work-focused rehabilitation programmes in conjunction with DHSSPS;
• clearer incentives to try work, including a Return to Work Credit of £40 a week for 52 weeks for people earning less than £15,000 a year; and
• better support for those moving off incapacity benefits onto JSA.

5. Although the series of interviews is mandatory, 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 work.

6. Media queries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872.

7. Out of hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699715440 and your call will be returned.