Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department plans to take to provide support for disabled people who will lose access to specialist help to find work as a result of changes in the level of funding for the Government's work programme.

We announced at the Spending Review that there would be a real terms increase in funding for people with health conditions and disabilities over the course of the spending review period. We are doing more through our Jobcentre Plus network and are refocusing our contracted support on those that need it most.

Contracted provision will continue to play a crucial role in offering support at the right time to those who have difficulty accessing the labour market. The Spending Review announced funding rising to at least £130 million a year by 2019/20 for the new Work and Health programme, including funding to be devolved to Scotland, focussing support on people with a disability, early access for priority groups and the long term unemployed. We expect the majority of people who will start the programme will be disabled people.

The Work and Health Programme is only one part of the wider package of support for disabled people. Improving Lives, The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper Cm 9342, announced to the House by the Secretary of State of Work and Pensions on 31 October, confirms we will introduce a new Personal Support Package for people with health conditions and disabilities, with a range of new interventions and initiatives designed to provide support that is tailored to the individual needs of claimants.

The Package will be delivered through Jobcentre Plus, including replacing the Work Programme with a smaller, but more focused Work and Health Programme, coupled with significant new investment in a new Health and Work Conversation for all ESA claimants; additional Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres; additional places on our existing employment programmes including a place on the Work and Health Programme for all new ESA Work-Related Activity Group claimants who wish to volunteer and are eligible, improved training for Work Coaches; and new measures that will harness the expertise of third sector organisations within Jobcentres.