Official Statistics

Connect to Work to June 2026

Published 10 September 2026

Applies to England and Wales

1. Introduction

Connect to Work is a key part of the Pathways to Work offer of support to help disabled people and those with health conditions into employment. It complements other existing government-funded employment support. It is a voluntary, locally led Supported Employment programme designed to help individuals with disability, health conditions and other complex issues overcome barriers to employment and move closer to finding meaningful, sustainable work. 

Connect to Work supports people who:

• have a disability as defined in section 6 of the Equality Act 2010 or the Social Model of Disability

• meet the definition of one of the specified disadvantaged groups with additional multiple and complex barriers that would benefit from support. See background information for details

The programme is predominantly targeted at the economically inactive, and can also help those struggling to maintain work as a result of their health or complex circumstances.

Connect to Work funding is providing support across England and Wales. See “What you need to know” for further information.

You can find out more about the programme in our background information note, published alongside this release.

Further breakdowns of the statistics published here can be found on Stat-Xplore. For information on how to use Stat-Xplore, please see the Stat-Xplore help pages.

2. Main Stories

The statistics show:

• between April 2025 and June 2026, 29,000 individuals were referred to the programme

• between April 2025 and June 2026, 25,000 participants started on the programme

• between April 2025 and June 2026, 26% of starts were aged 16-24

• of 25,000 total starts, 22,000 (87%) are receiving or have received, Out-of-Work support, and 3,200 (13%) are receiving or have received, In-Work Retention Support

• 4,100 Out-of-Work support participants have achieved First Earnings from employment

• 2,700 participants who received or are receiving Out-of-Work support have achieved a Lower Threshold Job Outcome, and 970 have achieved a Higher Threshold Job Outcome

• 820 participants who received or are receiving In-Work Retention Support have achieved a Higher Threshold Job Outcome

3. What you need to know

Further information on the content in this section can be found in the background information note.

Connect to Work Programme

Connect to Work is a Supported Employment programme. Participants are given a dedicated specialist employment support adviser who works alongside them to understand their career goals and help them to address any specific barriers to employment. Participants are supported to have conversations with prospective employers, removing the need to go through complex application processes. The employment adviser works with both the employer and the participant to ensure that the transition into work is smooth and that the workplace is inclusive.

Participant journey

Participants on Connect to Work can receive Out-of-Work support or In-Work Retention Support (IWRS).

Out-of-Work participants receive one-to-one support from Connect to Work for up to 12 months to help identify and fulfil employment goals that are suitable for their circumstances. Up to two extensions of 3 months can be granted in exceptional circumstances. This means the total length of time an Out-of-Work participant can receive support is 18 months.

IWRS participants who are at risk of falling out of employment or self-employment due to their disability or complex barriers can receive up to 4 months of support, with the option to extend support for an additional 2 months in exceptional circumstances. This means the total length of time an In-Work Retention Support participant can receive support is 6 months.

Measures

The Connect to Work statistics cover 6 measures:

• Referrals: the point at which the referral is imputed into DWP systems successfully, after agreeing to participate at the initial meeting.

• Individuals referred: Since one individual can have multiple referrals, individuals referred is the number of individual people referred. Only the first referral per person is counted.

• Starts: A start on the programme is recorded when a participant has met with an adviser and signed a Vocational Action Plan.

• First earnings from employment: The point at which a participant achieves their first earnings from their first employment whilst on the programme. A participant who achieves first earnings may not necessarily go on to achieve a job outcome. Statistics on first earnings from employment do not include those on the In-Work Retention Support journey.

• Lower Threshold Job Outcome: The point at which a participant receives gross earnings equivalent to 9 hours x 13 weeks at the National Living Wage. Lower Threshold Job Outcome statistics do not include those on the In-Work Retention Support journey.  

• Higher Threshold Job Outcome: The point at which a participant receives gross earnings equivalent to 18 hours x 26 weeks at the National Living Wage.

We plan to release performance data and more detailed breakdowns when sufficient data becomes available.

Delivery areas

The programme will be delivered in 48 Delivery Areas to cover all of England and Wales except Greater Manchester, which is using their Connect to Work funding to pilot their Prevention Demonstrator.

Referrals to Connect to Work began in April 2025 when the first area opened for participants. The programme has had a staggered roll-out, led by areas’ own timetables. As of the end of June 2026, 46 areas opened their local programmes. An Accountable Body is the lead authority within a defined Delivery Area, who will take overall responsibility as the Grant recipient for leading the implementation of Connect to Work across the Delivery Area. For a full list of Accountable Bodies and Delivery Areas, and a table of rollout dates, see the background information.

One of the 48 Delivery Areas received their Connect to Work funding through an Integrated Settlement in 2025/26 (alongside Greater Manchester). A further 8 Delivery Areas (across 5 Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities) received Connect to Work funding through an Integrated Settlement in 2026/27. All Integrated Settlement recipients need to deliver Supported Employment with their Connect to Work funding, except the Greater Manchester Combined Authority who are using their Connect to Work funding to deliver a separate pilot - their Prevention Demonstrator. As such, Integrated Settlement outcome data will be included in statistical releases, except for Greater Manchester.

To provide a national picture of what has been delivered with Connect to Work funding we will use Connect to Work terminology, but we recognise the different funding model for Integrated Settlements.

For more information, see Integrated Settlements for Mayoral Combined Authorities - GOV.UK

Supported Employment models

Connect to Work is a Supported Employment programme, with support delivered via the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model or the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) model.

4. Joining Connect to Work

From April 2025 to the end of June 2026, there were:

• 31,000 referrals

• 29,000 individuals referred

• 25,000 starts on the programme

In June 2026, 4,600 individuals were referred to Connect to Work

Figure 1: Monthly number of individuals referred and starts to Connect to Work, April 2025 to end of June 2026

Source: Stat-Xplore, Connect to Work

Note: Both the individuals referred and starts measures above are calculated using the month in which referral or start was achieved. Caution should be used in direct comparisons between both metrics, as those who started within the period may not have been referred within the same period.

Figure 1 shows that since Connect to Work began, the monthly number of individuals referred increased to 4,500 in March 2026, then dropped to 3,700 in April 2026. Individuals referred then increased to 4,600 in the most recent month (June 2026). Following a similar trend, monthly starts to Connect to Work increased to 4,200 in March 2026, dropping to 3,100 in April 2026, before increasing to 4,300 in the most recent month (June 2026). Both individuals referred and starts show an overall increase from the start of the programme to June 2026.

The proportion of individuals referred that have started is 87%. There are several reasons why an individual may not have started on the programme. They may not have had their first meeting with the provider yet, or they may have found employment after being referred but before starting; experienced a change in circumstances which meant they could no longer participate; or they may not have attended their first meeting with their provider. See the background information for more details.

Of 4,300 total starts in the most recent month, 85% started on the Out-of-Work support journey and 15% on the In Work Retention Support journey

Figure 2: Starts on Connect to Work by participant support journey, May 2025 to June 2026

Source: Stat-Xplore, Connect to Work

Figure 2 shows that since Connect to Work began, total monthly starts increased to 4,200 in March 2026, before decreasing to 3,100 in April 2026 and rising to 4,300 in the most recent month (June 2026). The majority of participants that have started receive Out-of-Work Support. Since the beginning of the programme, 87% of total starts receive Out-of-Work Support (22,000) while 13% receive In-Work Retention Support (3,200).

Across the whole programme, 71% of total starts have been delivered via the IPS model

Figure 3: Starts by Supported Employment model, May 2025 to end of June 2026

Source: Stat-Xplore, Connect to Work

Figure 3 shows the proportion of starts delivered via the IPS model is greater than the proportion delivered via the SEQF model. Of the 25,000 starts to date, 71% have been on the IPS model (18,000) and 29% on the SEQF model (7,200). Please note, figures may not sum due to rounding, and percentages are derived from unrounded figures.

Of the 25,000 participants that have started on the programme, 43% are female and 57% are male

Table 1: Number and proportion of starts on Connect to Work by sex, from April 2025 to end of June 2026 

	Starts	Proportion of Starts
Female	11,000	43%
Male	14,000	57%
Unknown	[low]	[low]
Total	25,000	100%

Note:

• [low] indicates a figure below 5

• rounding has been applied to figures in this table

Source: Stat-Xplore, Connect to Work

Table 1 shows that the majority of participants that have started on Connect to Work have been male. 57% of the 25,000 participants that have started have been male, whilst 43% have been female.

Between April 2025 and June 2026, 26% of starts were aged 16-24

Figure 4: Starts to Connect to Work by age group, May 2025 to end of June 2026

Source: Stat-Xplore, Connect to Work

Figure 4 shows the number of starts to Connect to Work to date by age group. 1,800 people aged 16-19 have started on Connect to Work. The 20-24 age group has the largest amount of starts with 4,600 starts to date. Above the 20-24 group, the starts for each age group decrease overall as the age increases with 65+ age group having 310 starts to date.

87% of participants who were referred to Connect to Work started on the programme

Figure 5: The flow of participants referred to Connect to Work up to end of June 2026

Source: Stat-Xplore, Connect to Work

Note:

• Summed values do not equal overall total due to rounding.

Of the 29,000 individuals who were referred to Connect to Work by the end of June 2026, 25,000 started (87%).

There are several reasons why an individual may not have started on the programme. They may have only recently been referred to the programme and may not yet have completed the onboarding process. They may have found employment after being referred but before starting, experienced a change in circumstances which meant they could no longer participate, or they may not have attended their first meeting with their provider.

5. First earnings from employment and job outcomes from Connect to Work

4,100 Out-of-Work participants have achieved first earnings since the beginning of the programme

Figure 6: Number of participants achieving first earnings from employment, lower threshold, and higher threshold outcomes on Connect to Work by month in which they occurred, Out-of-Work group, May 2025 to end of June 2026

Source: Stat-Xplore, Connect to Work

Figure 6 shows that the monthly number of Out-of-Work participants achieving first earnings from employment increased overall from the start of the programme to December 2025, then slightly decreased in January 2026, and since then has increased to 1,000 in June 2026.

Since the start of the programme, the number of Out-of-Work participants achieving Lower Threshold Job Outcomes (LTJOs) and Higher Threshold Job Outcomes (HTJOs) have been increasing each month, with 690 LTJOs and 260 HTJOs achieved by Out-of-Work participants in June 2026.  

A participant who has achieved a HTJO will also have achieved a LTJO and first earnings from employment, therefore they will appear in the count for all 3 measures.

Please note that Out-of-Work participants have not had the full duration in which to achieve a job outcome. Out-of-Work support is given for a minimum period of 12-months and outcomes are tracked for a further 13 weeks. Therefore, any Out-of-Work participants that have not achieved a job outcome to date may proceed to do so later.

820 IWRS participants have achieved higher-threshold job outcomes since the beginning of the programme

Figure 7: Number of participants achieving higher threshold outcomes on Connect to Work by month in which they occurred, In-Work group, July 2025 to end of June 2026

Source: Stat-Xplore, Connect to Work

Figure 7 shows the monthly total of Higher Threshold Job Outcomes (HTJOs) achieved by participants receiving In-Work Retention Support (IWRS) has increased overall. In the most recent month (June 2026), 210 IWRS participants achieved a HTJO.

Please note that IWRS participants have not had the full duration in which to achieve a job outcome. In-Work Retention Support is given for 4 months and outcomes are tracked for a year from the participant’s start date. Therefore, any IWRS participants that have not achieved a job outcome to date may proceed to do so later. As IWRS participants are already in work when joining the programme, HTJO is the only outcome measure for this group.

6. About these statistics

This statistical summary gives an overview. Key points and trends are presented using charts and commentary. The information underlying the charts is available on Stat-Xplore.

Rounding

Volumes and amounts have been rounded as detailed in the background information note. There are sometimes exceptions to this, for example where figures in text are rounded to a more appropriate level in line with figures in graphs. Percentages are calculated using numbers prior to disclosure controls and/or rounding and are rounded to the nearest whole percentage point. For these reasons, some totals may not sum to 100.

Status

The statistics in this bulletin are classified as Official Statistics. The Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 defines ‘Official Statistics’ as all those statistical outputs produced by the UK Statistics Authority’s executive office (the Office for National Statistics), by central Government departments and agencies, by the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and by other Crown bodies (over 200 bodies in total).

We have reviewed the Official Statistics in Development label on these statistics, following a number of Delivery Areas moving to Integrated Settlement funding. We have determined that there has been no disruption to our data supply and as such we are removing the “in development” label. As of 10 September 2026, these statistics will be published under the “Official Statistics” label.

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The Code encourages and supports producers of statistics to maintain their independence and to ensure adequate resourcing for statistical production. It helps producers and users of statistics by setting out the necessary principles and practices to produce statistics that are trustworthy, high quality and of public value.

You are welcome to contact us directly at EPASS Team about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR or via the OSR website.

How can this data be used?

You can use this data:

• for monitoring the overall flow of participants being referred to and starting on Connect to Work funded programmes, those achieving first earnings and lower threshold and higher threshold job outcomes

• for monitoring the differences in demographics of programme participants for age group, participant journey, Supported Employment model, and whether male or female

You cannot use this data:

• for making simple comparisons between different demographic groups (age group, participant journey, Supported Employment model, and whether male or female) in terms of the success of the programme

Where to find out more

Read the Connect to Work background information note for more information about the statistics.

The Connect to Work grant guidance is used by Accountable Bodies.

Users can also produce their own tables and access demographic breakdowns using Stat-Xplore.

7. Future plans and your feedback

Expected changes in future releases

Some changes may be made to the Connect to Work Official Statistics in future releases. We will pre-announce all major changes to users.

For detailed plans, see the Connect to Work Release Strategy.

Feedback and queries

Authors: Sophie Buckland, Daniel O’Hagan and Alys Owen

Lead Statistician: Tracy Hills

If you have any queries or feedback about existing Connect to Work Official Statistics, or the changes proposed above, please email the EPASS Team.

For media enquiries on these statistics, please contact the DWP press office.

DWP would like to hear your views on our statistical publications. If you use any of our statistics publications, we would be interested in hearing what you use them for and how well they meet your requirements. Please send your comments by email to: stats-consultation@dwp.gov.uk.

Users can also join the ‘Welfare, Wellbeing and Housing’ group at StatsUserNetwork. DWP announces items of interest to users via this forum, as well as replying to users’ questions.

ISBN: 978-1-80786-022-6