The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the national expansion of its Connect to Work programme, a government-backed employment initiative designed to address inactivity in the workforce. The programme targets up to 300,000 people, including those managing long-term health conditions or disabilities.
According to a report by the Manchester Evening News, the plan involves linking employment advisers to healthcare providers across the country. This development forms part of a broader strategy to reshape how work, health, and support services interact. The DWP describes the rollout as a structural reform, with implementation already underway in several areas across England.
‘Connect to Work’: A National Plan for Health-Based Employment Support
The Connect to Work programme represents a major strategic shift in how the DWP approaches job assistance. Instead of treating employment as separate from health care, the scheme embeds specialist employment advisers directly within GP surgeries, community health programs, and mental health teams.
Over 40,000 sick or disabled people will receive intensive, tailored support through this approach, focusing on individuals whose health has kept them out of work.
This “intensive support” includes personalized coaching, skills development, mental health-informed planning, and work-readiness tools. These advisers will operate alongside doctors, nurses, and therapists, providing seamless access to job-focused interventions within everyday health settings.
As the initiative gains ground, nine new areas across England—including Cumbria, Oxfordshire, West Sussex and Brighton—have secured additional funding to roll out the scheme. These join early adopters such as Portsmouth, the North East, and East Sussex, which have already implemented pilot measures.
In a statement underscoring the philosophy behind the plan, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:
Writing off people with long-term health conditions or disabilities fails them and fails our economy.
We are giving people a hand up, not a handout, realising their potential and providing them with the skills to succeed as part of our Plan for Change.
Thanks to local areas hitting the ground running, it is already delivering results – proving that when we invest in people and communities, everyone wins.
The DWP’s approach reframes employment support not only as an economic tool but as part of a holistic prescription for better living, reduced social isolation, and improved well-being.
Targeted Measures In Pilot Regions Show Early Signs of Success
The Connect to Work programme goes beyond coaching. In select regions, it incorporates a suite of additional measures tailored to local barriers and needs. These include:
- Connecting patients from community-based health services directly to employment support advisers
- Using Virtual Reality immersive classrooms to help individuals rehearse job interviews in safe, simulated environments
- Supporting parents and families in accessing affordable childcare, a frequent obstacle to re-entry into the workforce
- Hosting confidence-building workshops focused on communication, team skills, and stress management
These features are already in operation in places like Portsmouth and East Sussex, providing a real-time testing ground for broader national implementation. According to early data, participation in the program is helping individuals build job readiness and reframe employment as a reachable goal—particularly for those who have been out of work for extended periods.
This emphasis on tailored, wraparound support reflects the DWP’s belief that employment cannot be achieved by job listings alone; it requires community-driven systems that address the root causes of economic inactivity.
A 10-Year Vision To Integrate Health and Employment
The DWP’s employment-health alignment is directly supported by the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, a broader framework designed to unify services that have historically operated in silos.
Minister of State for Health Stephen Kinnock commented on the program’s alignment with this long-term vision:
Employment support can be a crucial part of good health, but for too long, we’ve treated health and work in isolation.
Our 10 Year Health Plan sets out how we are bringing the two together, through innovative schemes like this one.
For many people, getting help finding the right work could be as an important part of their prescription as the correct physio or medication.
This investment is just what the doctor ordered and will help thousands more find the help they need to get back into a job.
The DWP plans to scale the programme further in the coming months, depending on ongoing evaluations. While the strategy is still in its early stages, it is already altering the landscape of employment support in the UK—placing GPs, therapists, and job coaches on the same team for the first time.
Bringing 300,000 people back into the workforce is a formidable challenge, but the DWP is betting that treating employment as part of health care—not apart from it—may be the most effective prescription yet.
