A new £338 million investment into the Connect to Work programme will deliver localised, tailored support to over 85,000 people who are sick, disabled or face complex barriers to work in fifteen areas across England, including Warwickshire.  The scheme provides intensive, personalised help including individual coaching from employment specialists, job matching services, and ongoing support for both participants and employers to ensure sustainable employment outcomes.  

In this latest tranche of funding, Warwickshire will receive up to £8.2 million to support over 2,050 people across its delivery area. In all around 300,000 people across all of England and Wales are set to benefit over the next five years. To access support, sick and disabled people and those facing complex barriers to work can self-refer or they can be referred through various routes including healthcare professionals, local authorities, and voluntary sector partners.   

With 2.8 million people out of work due to ill-health across the country – one of the highest rates in the G7 – it’s part of the Government’s plan to get Britain working again and deliver an 80% employment rate by overhauling jobcentres, tackling economic inactivity through local plans, and delivering a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning.   

Among those out of work, over one in four cite sickness as a barrier - more than double the 2012 figure of one in ten - highlighting the urgent need for tailored employment support that removes barriers faced by disabled people and those with health conditions. 

Warwickshire’s funding is part of a national expansion backed by a £338m cash injection, with the funding set to transform the lives of the county’s sick and disabled residents.  

Councillor Rob Howard, Portfolio Holder for Economy, said: “We want our residents to be supported to overcome their barriers and enter the workplace. The Connect to Work programme will soon launch in Warwickshire and help increase capacity within the supported employment service, supporting people who are neurodivergent, people with mental health barriers and people with health barriers into the workplace.” 

Cllr Tom Hunt, Chair of the LGA’s Inclusive Growth Committee, said: “The Government’s decision to provide grant funding to councils and mayoral areas to deliver Connect to Work is a positive step. Evidence shows that councils are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their communities, and the LGA has long called for a more local approach to helping people back into employment. 

“Connect to Work will enable councils and mayors, working with partners, to design tailored support for people who are currently out of the labour market due to health conditions, disability, or complex needs. This not only facilitates supporting people move closer to work but also helps reduce wider social and financial pressures on communities and services, which helps reduce long-term welfare dependency, and creates stronger and more productive, resilient local economies.” 

The new funding also builds on WorkWell, a joint programme by DWP and DHSC, which went live in October last year, backed by £64m funding. It is transforming how people with health conditions are supported back into work through better integration between health services and employment support and will reach 56,000 people across the 15 pilot sites by Spring 2026. This approach prevents people from falling out of work, transforming employment services, and providing specialist support to help the most disadvantaged back into good jobs.