CtOG Target A
Reduce the number of workless people dependent on DWP benefits in Glasgow, North & South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire & Inverclyde, Dundee and West Dunbartonshire by 30,000 by 2007 and 66,000 by 2010.
Last Update: 3 May 2007
Why Is This Target Important?
The areas chosen all have high levels of benefit claimants so tackling these areas would make a large impact on benefit dependency and will increase employment within Scotland as a whole. The target areas also have some of the lowest economic activity rates in Scotland.
In addition, the choice of areas for Target A is closely linked to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation to ensure that the most deprived areas receive help. The areas highlighted all appear in the top 5 worst areas for employment deprivation.
How will you define success?
This target will have been met if on 31/3/07 and 31/3/10, compared with the baseline data on 31/8/04 the combined agreed targets for each of the areas identified has been achieved.
This target will be monitored using data on working age workless benefits, in particular:
- Incapacity Benefit
- Jobseeker's Allowance and,
- Income Support.
The data is held by the Department for Work and Pensions and will be available quarterly, 5 months after the reporting period (in Autumn 2007 and Autumn 2010).
What are the latest trends and data?
We have worked with the 7 key areas and have agreed the national target of 66,000 Scots off benefits and into work by 2010. Details of targets for each individual area can be found in Table A - Individual Area Targets.
Detailed quarterly figures on the number of people claiming benefits in each of the target areas are given in CtOG Monitoring spreadsheet.
CtOG Target A Monitoring
How will this target be achieved?
The target includes people on Incapacity Benefit, Income Support and Job Seeker's Allowance. Targeting these claimants will have a major impact on getting people back into work. We will work with the relevant agencies, such as Jobcentre Plus, local authorities, Scottish Enterprise, Communities Scotland, and local Health Boards, to ensure that local arrangements are agreed for delivering the target, building on partnerships that may already be in place.
There are numerous programmes which support these people back into employment. The initiatives include, Training for Work, New Deal programmes, Progress 2 Work and a variety of local initiatives run by councils, Local Enterprise Companies and voluntary organisations. These programmes are flexible and their exact nature and delivery varies in each area to best meet particular needs.
What resources are being committed?
Substantial resources are already invested in helping workless people by the UK Government, the Scottish Executive, their agencies and local authorities. The Scottish Executive, enterprise networks and local agencies invest in the region of £110m per annum through a variety of programmes such as Training for Work and Working for Families. We will work with the local partnerships to identify the best use of these funds, and innovative ways of collaborative funding to deliver these targets.
The Executive has allocated a total of £11 million to these areas to provide transitional support from current patterns of expenditure towards new services under Workforce Plus. The details of the allocation for each area for 2006-08 are contained in Table B - Funding allocation for each area 2006-08
What Additional Supporting Activities and Targets May Contribute?
In the year 2004/5, £104m was made available to the most deprived communities through the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF). This supports the Regeneration Outcome Agreements (ROAs) developed by Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs). The funding was for a wide range of initiatives which included setting targets for getting people into work.
The CRF could be used for a wide range of employment initiatives from Ready for Work programmes to Intermediate Labour Market schemes to mentoring initiatives. The type of programme will depend on the nature of the client group they are working with and the outcomes the CPP aims to achieve.
The European Social Fund (ESF), Objective 3 Programme, worth £341.5 million over 7 years (2000-06), has been granted to tackle long-term unemployment and social exclusion; develop the skills of the workforce, and to develop an efficient and flexible labour market, to provide equal access to training and employment across lowland Scotland.
£23.9 million was granted over 7 years (2000-06) to an EQUAL community initiative to tackle discrimination and inequalities in access to the labour market..
The Executive has launched Workforce Plus - an Employability Framework for Scotland which sets out how organisations can better work together at a national and local level to improve support for those facing barriers to employment, including people with disabilities and lone parents.
Working for Families funding of £10m pa from April 2004 to March 2006 and £15m pa from April 2006 to March 2008 is available (currently to 10 local authorities) to provide affordable, accessible childcare which enables parents in deprived areas or groups to access education, training or employment. Six of the seven target areas (all but South Lanarkshire) are currently included in the scope of the fund.
In addition, Jobcentre Plus allocate around £55m to a variety of New Deal programmes.
What Detailed Data Do You Have To Demonstrate Progress?
Detailed quarterly figures on the number of people claiming benefits in each of the target areas are given in CtOG Monitoring spreadsheet.
CtOG Target A Monitoring
Who can I contact for more information
Barbara Anderson
Transitions to Work Division
Enterprise, Transport & Lifelong Learning Department
Europa Buildings
450 Argyle Street
Glasgow
G2 8LG
barbara.anderson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 0141 242 0103
Fax: 0141 212 0149
Where can I find related information?
DWP/JobCentre Plus research reports can be found at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/jad/index_intro.asp
Statistics on working age benefits for the UK can be found at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage.asp
Statistics on working age benefits in Scotland can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ASD/CSU/00017814/pubdata.aspx
Labour market statistics
www.scotland.gov.uk/labourmarketstats
Information on UK benefits
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/http://www.newdeal.gov.uk/