Official Statistics

Work and Health Programme statistics to November 2021

Published 24 February 2022

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

The latest release of these statistics can be found in the Work and Health Programme statistics collection.

This is a quarterly release of experimental statistics on the Work and Health Programme and includes data up to November 2021.

Statistics covered in this publication include data covering the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures taken during the earlier months of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on the delivery of the WHP and on its performance resulting in lower numbers of referrals. Since late 2020, referrals and starts have exceeded the monthly expectations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mandatory referrals to the WHP for the Long-term Unemployed (LTU) group were paused. Although mandatory referrals for the LTU group have not resumed, WHP places are available if a Jobcentre Plus work coach considers this to be beneficial for a claimant. The pandemic had a significant impact on the labour market. Some employment sectors were unable to recruit and job opportunities were significantly reduced, however, as some employment sectors re-open and new sectors emerge there has been an increase in vacancies. This context should be considered when assessing the success or timeliness of outcomes from the programme in relation to this period.

These are the latest statistics for the Work and Health Programme until the next release on 26 May 2022.

We are seeking user feedback on this statistical bulletin. Send comments to: stats-consultation@dwp.gov.uk.

1. Introduction

The Work and Health Programme (WHP) was launched in England and Wales between November 2017 and April 2018 predominantly to help people who are disabled, as well as the long-term unemployed or those in the Early Access group to enter into and stay in work.

People are referred by jobcentres to work with organisations known as providers from the public, private and voluntary sectors. Providers are paid a service delivery fee and outcome-related payments when a person reaches either:

• a specified level of earnings once in employment
• 6 months of being in self-employment

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, DWP took steps to ensure continued support for customers most in need through changes to the payment model. Under this system the providers’ costs for delivering the contracted service were met, rather than paying a service fee and outcome-related payments.

The WHP is a European Union funded project as part of the European Social Fund (ESF) 2014 to 2020.

2. Main Stories

The statistics show:

• as of November 2021, 280,000 individuals have been referred to the programme since its inception with 200,000 having started on the programme
• 22% of participants that started the programme from November 2019 or earlier have achieved a job outcome within 24 months. Note that while support to participants on the programme ends at 21 months, outcomes are recorded for up to 24 months from starting. Participants in more recent start months have had less time to achieve a job outcome and so these figures are lower
• in the most recent 3 months (from September 2021 to November 2021) the monthly performance levels of the programme (actual number of job outcomes divided by expected number of outcomes) are 126%, 156% and 136% respectively, with October 2021 being the all-time high
• the measures taken during the earlier months of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on the delivery of the WHP and on its performance. Providers took alternative routes to service delivery to ensure support continued. Some employment sectors were unable to recruit and job opportunities were significantly reduced, however, as employment sectors have re-opened and new sectors have emerged, vacancies have increased
• the number of participants achieving first earnings from employment and job outcomes saw a decrease as the impact of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first UK-wide lockdown was seen
• the number of first earnings and job outcomes have increased to levels higher than those seen before the pandemic. The number of job outcomes has increased sharply to an all-time high in October 2021 while the number of first earnings reached an all-time high in May 2021
• this should be seen in the context of the changing composition of the labour market, with providers catering to new industries, and a cohort of participants who may not have required the programme prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

The number of starts to the WHP by eligibility group, November 2017 to November 2021

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Starts to WHP.

Of the people starting on the WHP since it began to November 2021:

• 150,000 are from the Disability group (77%)
• 24,000 are in the Long-term Unemployed group (12%)
• 22,000 are in the Early Access group (11%)

Of the individuals referred since the programme began to November 2021:

• 220,000 individuals referred have been from the Disability group (77%)
• 30,000 from the Long-term Unemployed group (11%)
• 34,000 from the Early Access group (12%)

The percentage of participants starting in each month that have proceeded to achieve a job outcome within 24 months, by eligibility groups, December 2017 to November 2019

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Job Outcomes from WHP.

The Disability group accounts for the largest number of starts, and they also make up the majority of job outcomes accounting for 79% of the total number of job outcomes.

The Early Access group and Long-term Unemployed groups each account for 12% and 10% of the total number of job outcomes respectively.

Of those participants who had been on the programme for the full 24 months (those starting from November 2019 or earlier), 22% have achieved a job outcome. For the individual WHP eligibility groups the proportion is:

• 23% of the Disability group
• 25% of the Early Access group
• 18% of the Long-term Unemployed group

3. What you need to know

Definitions

The following definitions are used in the statistics.

Participants

The WHP, launched in England and Wales between November 2017 and April 2018, aims to provide support to help people find and keep a job. It is available to the following 3 eligibility groups:

1. Disability group – voluntary for disabled people as defined in the Equality Act (2010). This is the main group that the WHP is aimed at.
2. Early Access group – voluntary and aimed at people who may need support to move into employment and are in one of a number of priority groups (for example homeless, ex-armed forces, care leavers, refugees).
3. Long-term Unemployed group – mandatory for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Universal Credit (UC) claimants who have reached 24 months of unemployment.

WHP participants may or may not be in receipt of certain means-tested benefits such as JSA, UC, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Income Support (IS). Alternatively, participants can be signposted to WHP by approved organisations (for example, community and voluntary groups).

Providers

The WHP is delivered across England and Wales by 5 providers across 6 areas, known as Contract Package Areas (CPAs). In some CPAs, the government has designed WHP in consultation with Local Enterprise Partnerships and city regions (partnerships between local authorities and businesses). These are known as Devolved Deal Areas (DDA). These areas have a strong voice in the ongoing monitoring of the performance on the programme in their areas.

In London and Greater Manchester, where devolution deals are in place, the WHP is commissioned and contract managed by the local authorities, known as Local Government Partners (LGP), who are match-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). See the background information note for more information.

Map showing LGPs and CPAs in England and Wales

The administration of the WHP is split into multiple areas within England and Wales (CPAs). Within London and Manchester, DWP has devolved the WHP to the Local Authorities known as LGPs. For Manchester this is considered a unitary area, whereas London is split up into 4 separate areas (West London, Central London, South London and Local London). The rest of England is split up into 5 areas, whilst Wales is a single area.

Referrals

Work coaches in jobcentres will send details of a person wanting to join the WHP to a provider. When a provider acknowledges the referral and contact has been established with the participant, this is called a referral. WHP participants can be referred more than once. Figures presented in this publication do not include cancelled or rejected referrals.

Individuals referred

Since one individual can have multiple referrals, individuals referred is the number of individual people referred. This means only the first referral per person is counted.

Starts

A start on the programme is recorded when a WHP participant attends the initial face-to-face meeting with the provider and agrees to participate. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, these meetings can be held remotely either digitally or via a phone call. The vast majority of starts should take place within 15 working days, although starts outside this window may occur if the customer does not attend the initial meeting within this time frame.

Cohort

A group of participants who all start on the WHP in the same month.

First earnings from employment

The point at which a participant achieves their first earnings from their first employment whilst on the programme. A participant may not necessarily go on to achieve a job outcome. Statistics on first earnings from employment do not include earnings from self-employment.

Job outcomes

A provider is classed as achieving a job outcome when a participant reaches either:

• a specified level of earnings once in employment (which varies across the different areas - see background information note for details)
• 6 months of being in self-employment

The earnings threshold for a job outcome for the National WHP and the majority of LGPs is 16 hours per week for 26 weeks at the National Living Wage, however the threshold for the West London Alliance is the same number of hours but at the London Living Wage and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority at the Real Living Wage.

Read the background information note for further information on WHP policy and definitions.

Expectations

The expectations used in the WHP statistics are the expected number of job outcomes for the programme either as a whole, split by eligibility groups or split by providers. For more information on the background to these expectations and to understand how they were created, see our background information note. Users can interpret these as the number of job outcomes anticipated when the WHP was rolled out.

Timeline of the roll out of the WHP from November 2017 to November 2021

Referrals to the Early Access and Disability groups began in November 2017. In March 2018 the WHP became available to all areas of the country. Long-term Unemployed referrals began in April 2018.

During the UK-wide lockdowns, beginning in March 2020, the face-to-face delivery of the WHP by providers was suspended. This meant that providers took alternative routes to service delivery including digital options and providing a telephony service to ensure support continued. Mandatory referrals to the WHP for the Long-term Unemployed (LTU) group were paused, and while these have not resumed, places are available on the WHP if DWP work coaches consider this to be beneficial for a claimant. This context should be considered when considering the success or timeliness of outcomes from the programme with regard to this period.

During this period the programme moved temporarily from a performance by results payment model to a “cost” payment model to allow for continued support for those customers most in need. Under this system the providers’ costs for delivering the contracted service were met, rather than paying a service fee and outcome-related payments. For the LGP areas there are a number of different cost models in place.

This statistical release includes data up to November 2021.

4. Joining the Work and Health Programme

Since the start of the programme, across England and Wales, there have been a total of:

• 340,000 referrals (this counts each referral for individuals referred multiple times)
• 280,000 individuals referred (individuals can have multiple referrals but are only counted once)
• 200,000 starts on the programme

Monthly number of individuals referred and starts, November 2017 to November 2021

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Referrals to WHP - Individuals, and Starts to WHP.

Note: The individuals referred are plotted by referral months and starts are plotted by the start month. Individuals may not start in the month of referral so caution should be used in direct comparisons between individuals referred and starts.

The total number of monthly individual referrals and starts was on an upward trend from March 2018 (when the programme was available to all areas of the country). Referrals from the Long-term Unemployed group started in April 2018. From April 2019 both the number of monthly individual referrals and starts was on a downwards trend, before the impact of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first UK-wide lockdown was seen in March 2020.

In April and May 2020 both the number of monthly individual referrals and starts were at lower levels. From July 2020 the number of monthly individual referrals and starts returned to similar levels to those seen before the pandemic and both reached all-time high levels in March 2021. These have now stabilised with referrals above the pre-pandemic levels and starts similar to pre-pandemic levels.

During the COVID-19 pandemic DWP has deployed a number of measures to deal with the unprecedented levels of demand on the department. DWP’s priority continues to be ensuring people get their benefit payments and support for those who need it the most. The measures taken during the earlier months of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on the delivery of the WHP and on its performance resulting in lower numbers of referrals.

Across the whole lifespan of the programme, the proportion of individuals referred that have started is 70%.

Starts by eligibility group, November 2017 to November 2021

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Starts to WHP.

Across the whole lifespan of the WHP:

• 77% of starts come from the Disability group
• 11% of starts come from the Early Access group
• 12% of starts come from the Long-term Unemployed group

In the latest month, November 2021:

• 84% of starts were from the Disability group
• 12% of starts were from the Early Access group
• 4% of starts were from the Long-term Unemployed group

During the COVID-19 pandemic mandatory referrals to the WHP for the Long-term Unemployed group were paused which may have had an effect on the recent figures for this group. Although mandatory referrals have not resumed, places are available on the WHP at the discretion of work coaches. DWP is currently working to reinstate mandatory referrals to WHP.

Distribution of all WHP individual referred and starts across areas, November 2017 to November 2021

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Referrals to WHP – Individuals and Starts to WHP.

Of those individuals referred who have not yet started, this may, for example, be due to the participant not attending their initial meeting with the provider. However, some of those individuals referred more recently who have not yet started may yet go on to do so.

Table: Number of referrals and starts by area, from November 2017 to November 2021 by order of rollout (earliest listed first)

Area	Provider	Date of Rollout	Referrals	Individuals referred	Starts	% of starts to individuals
North West	Ingeus	27th November 2017	25,700	20,700	15,100	73%
Wales	Maximus	1st December 2017	19,600	17,200	13,300	77%
Central	Shaw Trust	15th January 2018	46,100	37,700	26,000	69%
North East	Reed In Partnership	15th January 2018	59,800	52,400	38,200	73%
Southern	Seetec Pluss	15th January 2018	44,900	37,800	26,800	71%
Home Counties	Shaw Trust	15th January 2018	27,900	23,200	15,700	68%
Greater Manchester Combined Authority	Ingeus and The Growth Company	29th January 2018	33,200	26,700	18,900	71%
West London Alliance (WL)	Shaw Trust	26th February 2018	18,300	14,900	8,800	59%
Central London Forward (CL)	Ingeus	1st March 2018	33,000	26,500	17,700	67%
South London Partnership (SL)	Reed In Partnership	1st March 2018	8,800	7,300	4,700	64%
Local London (LL)	Maximus	1st March 2018	18,700	16,400	12,000	74%

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Referrals to WHP, Referrals to WHP – Individuals and Starts to WHP.

Note: In this table referrals, individuals referred and starts are rounded to the nearest 100. These percentages are derived from unrounded figures. The provider name for Wales has been changed from Remploy to Maximus. Remploy is operated by Maximus following a joint partnership in 2015.

See the background information note for maps of Greater Manchester and London LGP areas.

The WHP has been available to all areas since March 2018. Up until November 2021, 70% of individuals referred have started on the programme. Figures vary across areas due to size and when the service rolled out, however cumulatively, the highest rate of individuals referred to starts is in Wales (77%) and the lowest is in West London (59%).

5. First earnings from employment and job outcomes from the Work and Health Programme

The number of participants achieving first earnings from employment and job outcomes saw a decrease as the impact of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first UK-wide lockdown was seen. For the following figures, the number of first earnings and job outcomes have increased to levels higher than those seen before the pandemic. The number of job outcomes has increased sharply to an all-time high in October 2021 while the number of first earnings reached an all-time high in May 2021. This should be seen in the context of the changing composition of the labour market, with providers catering to new industries, and a cohort of participants who may not have required the programme prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The flow of participants referred to the WHP up to November 2019

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Referrals to WHP – Individuals, Starts to WHP, Employment First Earnings from WHP and Job Outcomes from WHP.

Overall, 76% of the individuals referred by November 2019 started on the programme, whereas 24% did not; this may, for example, be due to the participant not attending their initial meeting with the provider.

Of those participants starting on the programme from November 2019 or earlier 37% have achieved the first earnings threshold within 24 months, and 22% have achieved a job outcome within 24 months. Starts after November 2019 are not presented, as it is less likely these participants have had enough time and support on the programme to reach the first earnings threshold or achieve a job outcome. Those who started before November 2019 have been engaged with the programme for longer and have received more support making job outcomes more likely.

Participants leave the programme by either:

• achieving a job outcome
• being on the programme for a full 21 months

Note that although support on the programme ends at 21 months the time to accumulate earnings to achieve a job outcome finishes at 24 months.

Number of participants achieving first earnings from employment by first earnings month, November 2017 to November 2021

First earnings in employment is the point at which a participant achieves their first earnings from their first employment while on the programme. Subsequent employments are not included in the first earnings statistics.

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Employment First Earnings from WHP.

Note that a seasonal effect is seen that has an impact on the data shown here for the winter months each year.

February 2018 saw the first participants achieve first earnings from employment. As of November 2021, 74,000 participants have achieved first earnings from employment with 3,600 of these being achieved in the most recent month (November 2021).

Number of participants achieving job outcomes by job outcomes month, November 2017 to November 2021

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Job Outcomes from WHP.

March 2018 saw the first participants reach the job outcomes earnings threshold or 6 months of being in self-employment. As of November 2021, 40,000 participants have reached the job outcome earnings threshold or 6 months of being in self-employment with 2,200 of these being achieved in the most recent month (November 2021).

Figures suggest that while not everyone goes on to achieve a job outcome, a higher proportion have earned from employment while on the programme. For participants who have been on the programme for 24 months, 37% have achieved first earnings and 22% have achieved a job outcome. Note that the first earnings in employment figures do not include those in self-employment. Support to participants on the programme ends after 21 months and time to accumulate earnings to achieve a job outcome finishes at 24 months.

Percentage of starts achieving first earnings from employment within 6 months, 12 months and 24 months of starting, by starting month, December 2017 to May 2021

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Starts to WHP and Employment First Earnings from WHP.

Over time the percentage of starts achieving first earning from employment increases and has ranged between:

• 13% (March 2020) and 35% (March 2021) within 6 months of starting on the programme
• 22% (April 2020) and 50% (October 2020) within 12 months of starting on the programme
• 34% (September 2019) and 51% (December 2017) within 24 months of starting on the programme

Note that these results refer to the starting month of the participant and not the month the first earnings were achieved in, i.e. the months in brackets above are starting months. Long-term Unemployed referrals also only began in April 2018 and are not factored into dates prior to this.

The percentage of participants achieving first earnings from employment increases when participants have had longer to engage with the programme.

The percentage of participants achieving first earnings from employment within 6, 12 and 24 months of starting on the programme had been on a slight decline since the programme began. In 2019 a small rise was observed for those achieving first earnings within 6 months, before both the 6 and 12 month earnings saw a decline as the impact of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first UK-wide lockdown was seen. For participants starting since May 2020 there has been a sharp increase in the percentage achieving first earnings within both 6 and 12 months.

Similar trends are observed between the data for 6, 12 and 24 month first earnings suggesting that the programme’s results for 12 and 24 month earnings will continue to increase on the 6 month earnings percentages seen.

Percentage of starts achieving first earnings from employment within 6 months, 12 months and 24 months of starting, by eligibility group, November 2017 to May 2021

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Starts to WHP and Employment First Earnings from WHP.

Over time the percentage of starts achieving first earnings from employment increases for all eligibility groups. Within 6 months of starting on the programme to 12 months and then 24 months this figure rises:

• from 25% to 35% and then to 38% for those from the Disability group
• from 27% to 36% and then to 40% for those from the Early Access group
• from 17% to 26% and then to 32% for those from the Long-term Unemployed group

Note that first earnings within 6 months uses data from November 2017 to May 2021, first earnings within 12 months uses data from November 2017 to November 2020, first earnings within 24 months uses data from November 2017 to November 2019, and Long-term Unemployed first earnings uses data from April 2018 when referrals for this group began. As a result, some caution is needed when making direct comparisons between these figures.

Percentage of starts achieving job outcomes within 6 months, 12 months and 24 months of starting, by starting month, December 2017 to May 2021

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Starts to WHP and Job Outcomes from the WHP.

Over time the percentage of starts achieving job outcomes increases and has ranged between:

• 3% (December 2019) and 13% (September 2020) within 6 months of starting on the programme
• 8% (April 2020) and 29% (September 2020) within 12 months of starting on the programme
• 19% (November 2019) and 29% (December 2017) within 24 months of starting on the programme

Note that these results refer to the starting month of the participant and not the month the job outcomes were achieved in, i.e. the months in brackets above are starting months. Long-term Unemployed referrals also only began in April 2018 and are not factored into dates prior to this.

The percentage of participants achieving a job outcome increases when participants have had longer to engage with the programme.

The percentage of participants achieving a job outcome within 6 months had been fairly consistent since the programme began, whereas the percentage within 12 and 24 months had seen a slight decrease. For participants starting since April 2020, there has been a rapid increase in the percentage achieving job outcomes for both the 6 and 12 month measures, however this has been more pronounced for the 12 month measure.

Similar trends are observed between the data for 6, 12 and 24 month outcomes suggesting that the programme’s results for 12 and 24 month outcomes will continue to increase on the 6 month outcomes percentages seen.

Percentage of starts achieving job outcomes within 6 months, 12 months and 24 months of starting, by eligibility group

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Starts to WHP and Job Outcomes from WHP.

Over time the percentage of starts achieving job outcomes increases for all eligibility groups. Within 6 months of starting on the programme to 12 months and then 24 months this figure rises:

• from 7% to 17% and then to 23% for those from the Disability group
• from 8% to 18% and then to 25% for those from the Early Access group
• from 3% to 11% and then to 18% for those from the Long-term Unemployed group

Note that job outcomes within 6 months uses data from November 2017 to May 2021, job outcomes within 12 months uses data from November 2017 to November 2020, job outcomes within 24 months uses data from November 2017 to November 2019, and Long-term Unemployed job outcomes uses data from April 2018 when referrals for this group began. As a result, some caution is needed when making direct comparisons between these figures.

6. Demographics of the Work and Health Programme

Please note that different job outcome rates seen for the various participant groups does not reflect the relative success of the programme for each group. There are many reasons why these can vary and, as a result, comparisons between job outcome rates of groups should be made with great care. See the background information note for more information.

Percentage of starts achieving job outcomes within 24 months for females and males, and by eligibility group, November 2017 to November 2019

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Starts to WHP and Job Outcomes from WHP.

The percentage of participants to the WHP that have achieved a job outcome within 24 months is 22% for both females and males.

Males have accounted for the majority of starts to the programme (60%) compared to females (39%).

Across the eligibility groups the percentage of participants to the WHP that have achieved a job outcome within 24 months is 23% for the Disability group, 25% for the Early Access group and 18% for the Long-term Unemployed. The Disability group accounts for the majority of starts to the programme (77%), followed by the Long-term Unemployed group (12%) and the Early Access group (11%).

Percentage of starts achieving job outcomes within 24 months, by region and age group, November 2017 to November 2019

Source: Stat-Xplore, Work and Health Programme (WHP), Starts to WHP and Job Outcomes from WHP.

Note: The provider name for Wales has been changed from Remploy to Maximus. Remploy is operated by Maximus following a joint partnership in 2015.

The percentage of participants that have started the WHP that have achieved a job outcome within 24 months varies by region and is lowest for Central London (Ingeus) at 16% and highest for Wales (Maximus) at 30%.

Note that comparisons between regions and providers should be made with great care and the contextual differences between Contract Package Areas (CPAs) and Local Government Partners (LGPs) should be considered, for example there are differences between the outcome definitions used. See the background information note for more information.

Across the age groups the percentage of participants that have started the WHP that have achieved a job outcome within 24 months is lowest for the 60+ age group at 12% and increases as the age groups get lower, to a high of 30% for the 18 to 24 age group.

7. Performance levels

Expectations

The expectations used in the WHP statistics are the expected number of job outcomes for the programme, either as a whole, split by eligibility groups or split by providers. For more information on the background to these expectations and to understand how they were created, see our background information note. Users can interpret these as the number of job outcomes anticipated when the WHP was rolled out.

Actual job outcomes as a percentage of expected job outcomes, by outcome month for September 2018 to November 2021

Source: WHP statistics data tables.

Note: the dashed orange line at 100% signifies where actual job outcomes equal the expected number of job outcomes.

Nationally, overall performance of actual job outcomes against expected job outcomes has fluctuated between 49% (September 2020) and 156% (October 2021) across the period September 2018 to November 2021. Job outcomes are measured by outcome month. For example, the 81% figure for September 2018 indicates that, across all cohorts combined, the actual number of job outcomes for September 2018 was 81% of the expected number of job outcomes for this month.

The expected number of job outcomes were defined before the COVID-19 pandemic began. They are calculated using a few measures including the number of starts to the programme and the proportion of these that are expected, in a given time period, to achieve a job outcome. The reduction in performance in the affected months should be considered in this context. For more information see our background information note.

Number of actual job outcomes achieved compared to expected number, by outcomes month for September 2018 to November 2021

Source: WHP statistics data tables.

The actual number of job outcomes fell following December 2019, whereas the expected number of job outcomes continued to rise slightly, until the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first UK-wide lockdown. Since then, both actual and expected job outcomes decreased, until October 2020 when they rose again. Due to the decline in starts following the lockdown, there is a delayed effect on the expected number of job outcomes. This explains why the gap between actual and expected job outcomes widens for the period December 2019 onwards, before narrowing again from October 2020. For more information see our background information note.

In recent months the actual number of job outcomes has increased significantly to reach an all-time high of 2,500 (156%) in October 2021 and has surpassed the expected number of job outcomes of 1,600 (100%). This should be seen in the context of the changing composition of the labour market, with providers catering to new industries, and a cohort of participants who may not have required the programme prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Actual job outcomes as a proportion of expected job outcomes, for each eligibility group, by outcome month for September 2018 to November 2021

Source: WHP statistics data tables.

Nationally, the three eligibility groups have performed similarly up to September 2020. This suggests that the WHP was achieving a similar proportion of expected outcomes for each eligibility group, taking into account the respective sizes of the groups. Since June 2021, all eligibility groups have shown an increase in the proportion of the job outcomes achieved. In recent months, the disability and early access have exceeded the expected number of job outcomes, whereas the Long-term Unemployed group achieved, but did not exceed, the expected number of job outcomes.

During the COVID-19 pandemic mandatory referrals to the WHP for the Long-term Unemployed group were paused which may have had an effect on the recent figures for this group. Although mandatory referrals have not resumed, places are available on the WHP if DWP work coaches consider this to be beneficial for a claimant. DWP is currently working extensively with Service Delivery colleagues and our external providers on reinstating mandatory referrals to WHP. There is a lot of volatility on a month-to-month basis.

Provider context

There are key contextual differences to take into account between providers and Local Government Partners (LGPs). Participants must earn above a fixed threshold to achieve a job outcome through any provider nationally or in an LGP area. However, the thresholds used by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and West London Alliance are greater than those used by other LGPs and by the national providers of the WHP. LGPs, as solely urban areas, have different demographics to Contract Package Areas (CPAs). Therefore, the demographics of eligible cohorts may be different to those of the national CPAs. LGP services started about four months after the national CPAs.

LGPs have also secured extra funding from the European Social Fund to increase participant numbers. This is not the case for national WHP providers. Actual job availability in different areas does not necessarily scale in line with the increase in participant numbers. More detail explaining these principles, their effects and other important contextual information may be found in our background information note.

Actual job outcomes as a proportion of expected job outcomes for each region (and provider), September 2018 to November 2021

Source: WHP statistics data tables. Note: The provider name for Wales has been changed from Remploy to Maximus. Remploy is operated by Maximus following a joint partnership in 2015.

Across all regions and providers, overall performance of actual job outcomes has been between 70% (Central London Forward, Ingeus) and 105% (Wales, Maximus) of the expected number of outcomes, when summed across period September 2018 to November 2021. Note that these figures include all participants who have started the programme within these periods. Those who have started more recently have not had as much time to achieve job outcomes, and may still go on to do so.

Users should take into account the WHP is delivered across England and Wales by 5 providers across 6 areas, known as Contract Package Areas (CPAs). However, in London and Greater Manchester, where devolution deals are in place, the WHP is commissioned and contract managed by the local authorities, known as Local Government Partners (LGP). As a result, comparisons between regions and providers should be made with great care and the contextual differences between CPAs and LGPs should be considered, for example there are differences between the outcome definitions used. See the background information note for more information.

Job outcome performance against expectations for the latest 6 and 12 months, split by region (and provider)

Source: WHP statistics data tables.

Note: The provider name for Wales has been changed from Remploy to Maximus. Remploy is operated by Maximus following a joint partnership in 2015.

Across all regions and providers, overall performance of actual job outcomes has been between 88% (Local London, Maximus) and 133% (North West, Ingeus) of the expected number of outcomes, when summed across the most recent 12 month period December 2020 to November 2021. It has been between 111% (Local London, Maximus) and 144% (North West, Ingeus) of the expected number of outcomes, when summed across the most recent 6 month period June 2021 to November 2021.

8. 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 and as supporting tables.

Rounding

Volumes and amounts have been rounded as detailed in the background information note. Percentages are calculated using numbers prior to disclosure controls and/or rounding, and rounded to the nearest whole percentage point. For these reasons, some totals may not sum to 100.

Status

Work and Health Programme statistics are official statistics that are experimental. They are published in order to involve users and stakeholders in their development and as a means to build in quality at an early stage. All Official Statistics should comply with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics which promotes the production and dissemination of official statistics that inform decision making.

How can this data be used?

You can use this data:

• for monitoring the overall flow of participants being referred to and starting on the WHP, those achieving first earnings and job outcomes
• for monitoring the differences in demographics of programme participants for gender, age group, eligibility group and area

You cannot use this data:

• for making simple comparisons between different demographic groups (gender, age group, eligibility group and area) in terms of the success of the programme

Where to find out more

Read the WHP background information note for more Information about the statistics.

The Work and Health Programme provider guidance is used by programme providers.

Information on the Work Programme, a programme which aimed to get unemployed people into sustained employment can be found in the collection of Work Programme statistics.

Information on Work Choice, a programme which aimed to help disabled people find, keep and progress in a job, can be found in the collection of Work Choice statistics.

Information on Specialist Employability Support, a voluntary programme which is aimed at helping disabled people with complex barriers that other support is not suitable for to find a job, can be found in the collection of Specialist Employability Support statistics.

Information on the Access to Work provision, which is aimed to support people who have a disability or long-term health condition start or stay in work, can be found in the collection of Access to Work statistics.

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

9. Future plans and your feedback

Expected changes in future releases

As part of our planned ongoing development of the WHP Official Statistics, some changes may be made to the publication in future releases. We will pre-announce all major changes to users. In the next release due May 2022 we are not making any major changes.

Feedback and queries

Authors: Daniel O’Hagan, Jonathan Thompson and Almas Mumtaz Lead Statistician: Tracy Hills

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

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 and Benefit Statistics’ community at StatsUserNet. DWP announces items of interest to users via this forum, as well as replying to users’ questions.

ISBN: 978-1-78659-386-3