Business

UK invests £80 million in tailored support to reintegrate socially isolated and health-challenged jobseekers

Friday, 17 October 2025 4:07AM UTC

The UK government announces a substantial £80 million allocation to customisable programmes across nine regions, aiming to help those facing health and social barriers to re-enter the workforce through decentralised and holistic initiatives.

The UK government has announced a significant £80 million funding package aimed at helping thousands of people who have become economically inactive due to poor mental health or social isolation to re-enter the workforce. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) revealed that this investment will underpin tailored support programmes across nine regions in England and Wales, with local councils and mayors given autonomy over how the funds are used. This approach marks a departure from traditional one-size-fits-all job schemes, focusing instead on bespoke initiatives such as peer support groups, confidence-building sessions, mental health treatments, and skills training.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden highlighted the rationale behind this new strategy, emphasising that too many people have been excluded from the job market, to the detriment of both individuals and the wider economy. By empowering local leaders, the government intends to ensure that support is tailored to the specific needs of communities. The “inactivity trailblazer” programme, launched in April and now extended with the fresh funding, has already demonstrated early promise in areas like Denbighshire and Blaenau Gwent, where wellbeing sessions and teamwork training have helped participants build confidence and skills. For example, Aaron, a young autistic man, benefitted from job-readiness support and formed a social group that has positively impacted his community.

The funding distribution is targeted at regions with the highest levels of economic inactivity, reflecting the government's aim to tackle entrenched barriers linked to health and unemployment. The largest share—£20 million—will go to the Greater London Authority to run three pilot projects. Other key recipients, each receiving £10 million, include York and North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, the North East, Greater Manchester, and Wales. Welsh officials, including Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens and Minister Jack Sargeant, have expressed optimism about the scheme’s ability to unlock opportunities and improve wellbeing through tailored local support.

The scheme is part of a wider government agenda labelled the Plan for Change, which seeks to combine health, employment, and skills support in a more integrated fashion than previous efforts. This shift is reflected in related initiatives such as the ‘Connect to Work' programme launched by the DWP, which received a £40 million boost to support disabled individuals and those with health conditions in finding work, initially focusing on West London before a planned expansion to 47 areas across England and Wales. The overall ambition is to support up to 100,000 people annually through personalised interventions, including one-to-one employment advice and skills development.

In addition, the government is increasing support for sick and disabled claimants by deploying 1,000 existing work coaches who will offer intensive, voluntary guidance to around 65,000 individuals. This complements a broader £338 million DWP funding initiative projected to assist about 300,000 people over five years, helping those with long-term sickness or disabilities overcome complex employment barriers. The government has also announced major welfare reforms backed by £1 billion in investment, including scrapping the Work Capability Assessment and introducing a 'right to try' work guarantee aimed at unlocking employment opportunities and boosting economic growth.

Local leaders have welcomed these developments. South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard noted the legacy of industrial decline and its impact on health, skills, and employment opportunities, praising the scheme for helping thousands into secure jobs. Similarly, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin emphasised the importance of breaking down barriers to work and ensuring fair chances for people to flourish economically.

Together, these measures illustrate a comprehensive attempt by the UK government to address economic inactivity through a combination of health and skills support, decentralised decision-making, and enhanced welfare provision. The move reflects an acknowledgment that support needs to be tailored and holistic to be effective, particularly for those facing the twin challenges of poor health and social isolation.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/dwp-help-thousands-people-back-36081057 - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mental-health-support-and-peer-support-networks-to-get-people-back-into-work-as-local-areas-get-80-million-funding-boost - The UK government has announced an £80 million funding package to support individuals facing economic inactivity due to poor mental health and social isolation. This initiative empowers local councils and mayors to design tailored solutions, including peer support groups, confidence-building sessions, mental health treatment, and skills training. The funding targets nine regions in England and Wales, aiming to break the cycle between poor health and unemployment. The programme, known as 'inactivity trailblazers,' has shown early success in areas like Denbighshire and Blaenau Gwent, where participants have benefited from wellbeing sessions and teamwork training.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rollout-begins-on-new-employment-support-programme-with-40-million-boost-to-west-london - The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has initiated the 'Connect to Work' programme with a £40 million boost to West London. This five-year funding aims to assist disabled individuals and those with health conditions in finding suitable employment. The programme offers tailored support, including one-to-one employment advice and skills development, with plans to expand to 47 areas across England and Wales, ultimately supporting up to 100,000 people annually.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-bolsters-employment-support-to-unlock-work-for-sick-and-disabled-people - The UK government is enhancing employment support for sick and disabled individuals by deploying 1,000 existing work coaches to provide intensive voluntary support to approximately 65,000 claimants. This initiative is part of the government's Plan for Change, aiming to break down barriers to opportunity and boost economic growth. The support includes tailored employment assistance and access to various DWP employment programmes to help claimants secure work.
https://www.britsafe.org/safety-management/2025/dwp-releases-new-funding-to-get-300-000-people-with-long-term-sickness-or-disability-back-into-work - The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced £338 million in funding for the 'Connect to Work' programme, aiming to support over 85,000 individuals with disabilities, health conditions, or complex barriers to employment across 15 areas in England. The initiative is expected to benefit around 300,000 people over the next five years, providing localised, tailored support to help them return to work.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/biggest-shake-up-to-welfare-system-in-a-generation-to-get-britain-working - The UK government has unveiled the largest welfare reforms in a generation, backed by a £1 billion investment, to assist sick and disabled individuals who can and have the potential to work into employment. The reforms include scrapping the Work Capability Assessment and introducing a 'right to try' work guarantee, aiming to unlock work, boost employment, and tackle the benefits system to drive economic growth.
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/one-thousand-work-coaches-for-disabled-claimants - The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced the redeployment of 1,000 existing work coaches to support sick and disabled claimants in 2025/26. These coaches will provide intensive voluntary support to approximately 65,000 claimants, offering tailored employment assistance and helping them access support with writing CVs and interview techniques. This initiative is part of the DWP's broader plans to overhaul employment support.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative is based on a recent press release from the UK government, dated 16 October 2025, announcing an £80 million funding package to help individuals economically inactive due to poor mental health or social isolation re-enter the workforce. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mental-health-support-and-peer-support-networks-to-get-people-back-into-work-as-local-areas-get-80-million-funding-boost?utm_source=openai))

Quotes check

Score: 10

Notes: The quotes attributed to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden and other officials are directly sourced from the press release dated 16 October 2025. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mental-health-support-and-peer-support-networks-to-get-people-back-into-work-as-local-areas-get-80-million-funding-boost?utm_source=openai))

Source reliability

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative originates from a press release issued by the UK government's Department for Work and Pensions, a reputable and official source. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mental-health-support-and-peer-support-networks-to-get-people-back-into-work-as-local-areas-get-80-million-funding-boost?utm_source=openai))

Plausability check

Score: 10

Notes: The claims made in the narrative align with the details provided in the official press release, including the funding amount, targeted regions, and the focus on mental health and social isolation as barriers to employment. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mental-health-support-and-peer-support-networks-to-get-people-back-into-work-as-local-areas-get-80-million-funding-boost?utm_source=openai))

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is a direct reproduction of the UK government's official press release dated 16 October 2025, announcing an £80 million funding package to support individuals economically inactive due to poor mental health or social isolation in re-entering the workforce. The content is fresh, original, and sourced from a reliable entity, with all claims corroborated by the official release.

UK government
employment support
mental health