Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish details of (a) findings, (b) good practice and (c) value-for-money assessments from Trailblazer schemes.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Trailblazers were launched from April 2025 across 17 areas and are testing more localised delivery approaches to support young people and those who are economically inactive to move closer to the labour market.
The Trailblazer areas are required to demonstrate to the Department satisfactory progress towards implementing their agreed delivery plans. Management Information is being collected by the areas and will be shared with the Department, which includes volumes and characteristics of people supported by the Trailblazers.
The Department expects to publish scoping research in 2026, which was commissioned to baseline Trailblazer plans and inform the evaluation design. The Department will be commissioning a new evaluation contract, starting in December 2025, and we will then agree the most effective approach to evidencing outcomes, good practice and value for money. Where applicable this will include evidence on improving mental health, tackling social isolation and supporting sustained employment. We expect to publish interim findings during the next two years and will develop the value for money assessment once longer term impacts have been developed.
In addition, the Department is working closely with Trailblazer areas to support the design of their own local evaluations.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) performance metrics and (b) outcome indicators his Department is using to assess Trailblazer schemes; and what role (i) improving mental health, (ii) tackling social isolation and (ii) supporting sustained employment have in those.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Trailblazers were launched from April 2025 across 17 areas and are testing more localised delivery approaches to support young people and those who are economically inactive to move closer to the labour market.
The Trailblazer areas are required to demonstrate to the Department satisfactory progress towards implementing their agreed delivery plans. Management Information is being collected by the areas and will be shared with the Department, which includes volumes and characteristics of people supported by the Trailblazers.
The Department expects to publish scoping research in 2026, which was commissioned to baseline Trailblazer plans and inform the evaluation design. The Department will be commissioning a new evaluation contract, starting in December 2025, and we will then agree the most effective approach to evidencing outcomes, good practice and value for money. Where applicable this will include evidence on improving mental health, tackling social isolation and supporting sustained employment. We expect to publish interim findings during the next two years and will develop the value for money assessment once longer term impacts have been developed.
In addition, the Department is working closely with Trailblazer areas to support the design of their own local evaluations.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to undertake formal evaluation of the Trailblazer schemes currently in operation; and when that will be published.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Trailblazers were launched from April 2025 across 17 areas and are testing more localised delivery approaches to support young people and those who are economically inactive to move closer to the labour market.
The Trailblazer areas are required to demonstrate to the Department satisfactory progress towards implementing their agreed delivery plans. Management Information is being collected by the areas and will be shared with the Department, which includes volumes and characteristics of people supported by the Trailblazers.
The Department expects to publish scoping research in 2026, which was commissioned to baseline Trailblazer plans and inform the evaluation design. The Department will be commissioning a new evaluation contract, starting in December 2025, and we will then agree the most effective approach to evidencing outcomes, good practice and value for money. Where applicable this will include evidence on improving mental health, tackling social isolation and supporting sustained employment. We expect to publish interim findings during the next two years and will develop the value for money assessment once longer term impacts have been developed.
In addition, the Department is working closely with Trailblazer areas to support the design of their own local evaluations.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure improved service from the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As more customers apply to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) the demand for our service is increasing. To allow us to meet this demand and provide an efficient service we continuously look at the resources we have and where we should focus our efforts to get the greatest value for money and deliver the best service to our customers.
We review our overall resource supply regularly and take appropriate steps to ensure that staffing levels meet current demands. We have an ongoing recruitment campaign for 2025 which will ensure CMS is resourced to meet current and future forecasted demand.
Through extensive modernisation to both telephony and digital channels, and by promoting self-service online, the CMS are ensuring customers have greater choice of how and when they contact us. Our service improvements allow customers to use the most appropriate and efficient contact method to quickly resolve their queries and reduce demand on our services.
Improvements to our digital service allow us to process simple actions automatically, speeding up the time taken to make a change. Through efficient call routing, we have freed up resources to deliver a more responsive service and allow caseworkers more time to better assist customers who need to reach out to us via telephone. We have improved all forms of communication, including greater use of SMS and email as well as improving letter content. Furthermore, we have taken timely action to further train, support and redeploy resource within CMS to where it is needed most.
The CMS continually reviews the service it provides by regularly gathering feedback from customers. The Customer Experience Survey is a way in which the Department interacts with customers to understand their experience. Through regular insight used to inform ways to improve our service and the ongoing review of resources, the CMS strives to ensure we have the capability to deliver the best service which is accessible to all parents within our growing caseload.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to increase resourcing for the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As more customers apply to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) the demand for our service is increasing. To allow us to meet this demand and provide an efficient service we continuously look at the resources we have and where we should focus our efforts to get the greatest value for money and deliver the best service to our customers.
We review our overall resource supply regularly and take appropriate steps to ensure that staffing levels meet current demands. We have an ongoing recruitment campaign for 2025 which will ensure CMS is resourced to meet current and future forecasted demand.
Through extensive modernisation to both telephony and digital channels, and by promoting self-service online, the CMS are ensuring customers have greater choice of how and when they contact us. Our service improvements allow customers to use the most appropriate and efficient contact method to quickly resolve their queries and reduce demand on our services.
Improvements to our digital service allow us to process simple actions automatically, speeding up the time taken to make a change. Through efficient call routing, we have freed up resources to deliver a more responsive service and allow caseworkers more time to better assist customers who need to reach out to us via telephone. We have improved all forms of communication, including greater use of SMS and email as well as improving letter content. Furthermore, we have taken timely action to further train, support and redeploy resource within CMS to where it is needed most.
The CMS continually reviews the service it provides by regularly gathering feedback from customers. The Customer Experience Survey is a way in which the Department interacts with customers to understand their experience. Through regular insight used to inform ways to improve our service and the ongoing review of resources, the CMS strives to ensure we have the capability to deliver the best service which is accessible to all parents within our growing caseload.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the new jobs and careers service will work with employers to help tackle ageism in (a) recruitment and (b) the workplace.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government acknowledges the key role employers play in helping older individuals to remain in or re-enter the workforce, and the importance of embracing policies conductive to this support. The 2010 Equality Act provides strong protection against direct and indirect age discrimination in employment, rendering it unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees or job applicants based on age.
We know that work helps everyone, including older people, play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement. That is why we are reforming employment support to ensure it helps everyone who needs it. This includes creating a Jobs and Careers service that will enable everyone, regardless of age, to access support to find good, meaningful work, and help them progress in work or increase their earnings.
We have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent “Keep Britain Working” review as a part of the plan to Get Britain Working again. In recognition of employer's vital role, his review is considering recommendations to support and enable employers to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence, and recruit and retain more disabled people and people with health conditions. This includes the perspectives of older people themselves, as well as engaging with the Centre for Ageing Better.
My Department also continues to engage with employers to ensure their recruitment practises attract and support the retention of older people. This includes making businesses aware of good practice and encouraging employers to sign the Age-Friendly employer pledge.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people in their (a) 50s and (b) 60s are included in the design of its new digital employment support offer.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As part of our reforms announced in the Get Britain Working, we set out our plans to reform Jobcentre Plus and create a new service across Great Britain. We secured £55m at the Autumn Budget to take forward the first steps of building, testing and trialling the new service in 2025/26, including the development of a modern digital offer where people can access support through the channels that best meet their needs.
The new service must work for everyone, and we are committed to working with all users, including older individuals, on the new service, and organisations representing their needs, throughout the design process.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including an increase in employment among people aged 50–59 and 60–66 as a distinct intermediate outcome metric in the Get Britain Working framework.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A key outcome in our Get Britain Working outcome metrics framework is our ambition to raise the country’s employment rate to 80%. To achieve this ambition, we will need to improve employment across a range of groups of the population, including people aged 50 and over.
The outcomes framework intermediate outcome metrics monitor progress of the effect of policies announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper that provide extra support for specific groups of people - for example young people; people with health conditions and disabled people.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty on the work of her Department.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions treats its responsibilities under the Armed Forces Covenant very seriously and has a number of special rules and arrangements in place.
These range from National Insurance Credits for forces spouses who have a gap in their records because they have accompanied their partner overseas; to exemptions to residency tests to those who have served abroad; to a network of Armed Forces Champions in Jobcentres who provide expert help and support to those veterans who need it most.
As we reform and modernise our services, and make other changes, we will, of course, continue to consider the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people into work in (a) north Greater Manchester and (b) Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Those who are economically inactive due to ill health or other disadvantages will be supported into work through the inactivity trailblazer programme. Additionally, Greater Manchester’s Working Well programme offers support to residents at risk of or currently experiencing long-term unemployment, their WorkWell service offers support to residents facing difficulties in remaining in work due to ill-health, and the Adult Skills Fund gives residents access to training courses to enhance their career opportunities. These programmes cover north Greater Manchester, including Rochdale.
The local Jobcentre network offers a suite of skills courses aimed at improving engagement and motivation, supporting the hardest to help, removing barriers to employment, enhancing job search skills, providing skills for work, vocational skills, and in-work support. These courses are designed to address various needs, from overcoming complex barriers to employment to improving job searching techniques and providing ongoing support for those in work. This approach allows us to provide intensive support for those with complex needs, remove final barriers to employment, and help individuals become proficient in job searching techniques. We are confident that these initiatives significantly contribute to improving employment opportunities and supporting residents in North Greater Manchester, Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
Jobcentre teams are working in partnership with Rochdale Local Authority with a specific focus on employer activity to support local residents into employment. In recent months the Jobcentre team have worked jointly with Rochdale AFC to deliver a Jobs Fair for local residents. Some recent Sector Based Work Academies include working jointly with Rochdale Training to move residents into NHS jobs and Realise Training to support residents into the Security sector. Locally, the Get Rochdale Working team at the Local Authority support with local initiatives including Jobs fairs, Apprenticeships, Work experience and volunteering.
Within the Jobcentres there is a Movement to Work Offer providing meaningful placements to young people 16-30 years old not currently in education, employment or training (NEET). These placements are designed to provide skills, experience and support to open lasting opportunities for those involved.