Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many outcome payments have been made to contractors involved in the Work Programme in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) England and (d) Wales in each of the last five years.

As of September 2014, the Work Programme has helped 368,000 long term unemployed people into lasting work.

Information on the number of Job Outcome payments made to Work Programme providers by region and contract is published and can be found at:

http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html

Guidance for users is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance

Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland. Details can be found at:

http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research.htm