Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government why recruitment to the Connect to Work programme fell short of its target in its first year; and what steps they are taking to address the shortfall.

2025/26 was a mobilisation year for Connect to Work. The programme is delivered by Mayors and local authorities across England and Wales and roll out has been led by their own timetables. Data published in September 2026 (the latest published statistics), show starts accelerating with, for example, 15,000 starts in the four months between March and June 2026.

By end June 2026 around 25,000 people had started on the programme and more than 4,100 had moved into employment. This is specialist, voluntary support for disabled people and those with health conditions or individuals with complex non-health barriers who face significant barriers to work, and we fully expect outcomes to grow as more participants complete their journey into employment.

Our focus is on helping local areas set up and run high quality, well-integrated Connect to Work services that help people get into and stay in employment that is right for them. We regularly review progress with Connect to Work areas and continue to support delivery through specialist support, webinars, communities of practice and performance-related action plans.