Guidance

Getting young people into the Kickstart Scheme jobs

How to get the young people into the Kickstart Scheme jobs and changes to your existing Kickstart Scheme jobs that you need to tell us about.

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published
13 September 2021
Last updated
31 March 2022 — See all updates

This guidance was withdrawn on

Applications for the Kickstart Scheme closed at midday on 17 December 2021.

Check the deadlines for completing other Kickstart Scheme tasks.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Employer guidance

Kickstart Scheme applications closed at midday on 17 December 2021.

Check the deadlines for completing other Kickstart Scheme tasks.

If you’re a Kickstart gateway, check the guidance for gateways.

How to get the young people into the jobs

You must have:

  • successfully applied online or applied through a Kickstart gateway for a Kickstart Scheme grant before midday on 17 December 2021
  • signed and returned your Kickstart Scheme grant agreement to DWP or your Kickstart gateway by 11:59pm on 7 January 2022
  • submitted your Kickstart Scheme vacancies by 11.59pm on 31 January 2022

After 1 March 2022, work coaches at Jobcentre Plus stopped matching young people to jobs.

The young person must have started the job on or before 31 March 2022.

You or your Kickstart gateway should tell DWP by 11:59pm on 30 April 2022 that the young person has started so we can process the funding. You’ll be told how to do this in the ‘referral’ email.

All jobs must have received an introduction through a DWP work coach to receive full funding.

If a young person leaves the job early

You must email DWP as soon as possible if a young person either:

  • leaves their job before the end of the 6-month period
  • needs to temporarily leave their job (for example for special leave or COVID-19-related restrictions)

The email address is the same one you use to tell DWP about the young person’s start date. You’ll be told how to do this in the ‘referral’ email you get when a work coach refers a young person to your job vacancy.

If a young person leaves their job early, the next scheduled wage payment from DWP will be the last you receive for them.

DWP may be able to extend the funding period if the young person has to temporarily stop working.

You can replace the person who left early with another young person referred to the vacancy by a work coach. They must have started on or before 31 March 2022.

Get help and support with managing your Kickstart Scheme jobs

Contact your local or national Kickstart Scheme contact if you need help managing your Kickstart Scheme jobs.

Published 13 September 2021
Last updated 31 March 2022 + show all updates

  1. Updated page as the deadline for young people starting in the job has now passed.

  2. Updated page to say the deadline for referring young people into jobs has now passed.

  3. Updated page as the deadline for submitting vacancies has now passed.

  4. Updated page as the deadline for grant agreements to be signed and returned has now passed.

  5. Updated page to say applications for Kickstart Scheme funding closed at midday on 17 December 2021, removed links to the apply guides and removed information about grant variations.

  6. Added deadlines for completing Kickstart Scheme tasks.

  7. Added information about Kickstart Scheme applications closing on 17 December 2021.

  8. First published.

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