Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons 118,000 places in the Kickstart scheme are yet to be filled; and what the planned timescale is for filling those places.

We are pleased that over 2,000 young people have started in jobs created by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme since November.

After being approved and the grant agreement with the employer or Gateway is signed, a job placement becomes available once the employer has provided the job details and confirmed when they want to fill it. A Kickstart job does not have to start right away but anytime within the life time of the scheme. It is then advertised via Job Centre Plus for referrals of eligible young people.

Employers are taking appropriate care to help young people start their jobs safely and we are pleased that so many young people have been able to benefit from the scheme.