Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of people Connect to Work is expected to support into work and (b) expected cost of the scheme per person successfully employed at the end of the programme.

The £1 billion Connect to Work programme covers all of England and Wales and will support around 300,000 people over its lifetime.

The guidance for the programme published on Gov.uk in November 2024, makes clear the expectation that all local areas will aim for at least 50% of participants experiencing some work during the 15-month tracking period (up to 21 months if support extended) from starting on the programme. The cost per participant will vary by Delivery Area (reflecting area and individual characteristics), but overall, the average unit cost for the programme is £3,800 per participant supported.

We plan to undertake a robust and proportionate evaluation of the Connect to Work programme.