Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the extent of underspend of the Kickstart Scheme in the financial year 2021-22; and what discussions she has had with Chancellor of the Exchequer on returning that funding to her departmental budgets.

As of 8 May 2022, over 162,600 Kickstart jobs had been started by young people. We are delighted that the Kickstart Scheme has provided opportunities for so many young people to gain experience in the workplace that will improve their chances of progressing to find long-term sustainable work.

In the financial year 2021-22, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was provided with £1,617.5m new funding specifically to deliver Kickstart. As this funding was ringfenced, any underspend had to be returned to HMT, as per the normal budgeting process. At Supplementary Estimates, DWP handed back £664.7m of this funding, with any balance on the residual £952.8m funding also due to be returned to HMT at year end.