Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will extend the criteria for the Kickstart scheme to include people under 25 who (a) had an Education Health and Care Plan before leaving education and (b) claim Employment Support Allowance.

A young person is eligible for a job on the Kickstart scheme if they are aged 16-24, on Universal Credit (UC), and considered to be at risk of long term unemployment by their Work Coach. If a young person has been identified as having an EHCP at school this would not prevent them from being referred to a Kickstart Scheme Job as it is open to all young people who are on UC as long as they meet the eligibility/suitability criteria. Existing ESA claimants cannot be referred at this time and the Department of Work and Pensions has no current plans to extend the eligibility for the scheme but will keep that under review.