Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to retraining for low-income adults who are already in work, including people with chronic health conditions.

The Department supports low-income adults in work to develop their skills, increase their earnings and, where appropriate, retrain for new careers.

Through Jobcentre Plus, Work Coaches can help individuals identify skills gaps and access training, and refer claimants to a range of provision, including Skills Bootcamps, apprenticeships, sector-based work academy programmes, Free Courses for Jobs, and English, maths and digital skills training.

The ASF supports eligible adults aged 19 and over to access education and training up to and including level 3 qualifications where they meet the relevant funding criteria. This includes fully funding eligible adults in work but earning less than £26,800, as well as co-funding for those earning above this threshold.

Learner Support and Learning Support funding can help those facing financial hardship and people with disabilities or health conditions to participate effectively in learning. For people with health conditions, specialist support is also available through programmes such as Access to Work.