Election 2010 Coalition Government : Jobs and Welfare

The Government believes that we need to encourage responsibility and fairness in the welfare system. That means providing help for those who cannot work, training and targeted support for those looking for work, but sanctions for those who turn down reasonable offers of work or training.

* We will end all existing welfare to work programmes and create a single welfare to work programme to help all unemployed people get back into work.

* We will ensure that Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants facing the most significant barriers to work are referred to the new welfare to work programme immediately, not after 12 months as is currently the case. We will ensure that Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants aged under 25 are referred to the programme after a maximum of six months.

* We will realign contracts with welfare to work service providers to reflect more closely the results they achieve in getting people back into work.

* We will reform the funding mechanism used by government to finance welfare to work programmes to reflect the fact that initial investment delivers later savings through lower benefit expenditure, including creating an integrated work programme with outcome funding based upon the DEL/AME switch.

* We will ensure that receipt of benefits for those able to work is conditional on their willingness to work.

* We support the National Minimum Wage because of the protection it gives low-income workers and the incentives to work it provides.

* We will re-assess all current claimants of Incapacity Benefit for their readiness to work. Those assessed as fully capable for work will be moved onto Jobseeker’s Allowance.

* We will support would-be entrepreneurs through a new programme – Work for Yourself – which will give the unemployed access to business mentors and start-up loans.

* We will draw on a range of Service Academies to offer pre-employment training and work placements for unemployed people.

* We will develop local Work Clubs – places where unemployed people can gather to exchange skills, find opportunities, make contacts and provide mutual support.

* We will investigate how to simplify the benefit system in order to improve incentives to work.

Full Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Government Agreement

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Banking

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Business

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Civil Liberties

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Communities and Local Government

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Consumer Protection

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Crime and Policing

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Defence

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Deficit Reduction

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Energy and Climate Change

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Equalities

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Europe

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Families and Children

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Foreign Affairs

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Government Transparency

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Immigration

Election 2010 Coalition Government : International Development

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Jobs and Welfare

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Justice

Election 2010 Coalition Government : National Security

Election 2010 Coalition Government : NHS

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Pensions and Older People

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Political Reform

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Public Health

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Schools

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Social Action

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Social Care and Disability

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Taxation

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Transport

Election 2010 Coalition Government : Universities and Further Education

The Coalition: our programme for government © Crown copyright 2010