Millions to be spent on getting people back into work

The Government is putting up the cash to help to get those deemed economically inactive back into jobs, under a ‘trailblazer’ scheme to be led by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

Its success will hinge on tackling health issues which leave some people unable to find jobs.

To help make that work, the county Integrated Care System will also get a share of £45m being made available through the NHS, to become an NHS England Growth Accelerator area.

The money will be used to target the health conditions which keep the most people away from work.

Health conditions blamed as the biggest causes for keeping people out of work will then be targeted in a joint approach by the two authorities.

The work will be based around the Pathways to Work Commission, which was launched in Barnsley, organised between the council and SYMCA ,to come up with ideas for getting inactive members of the workforce back into action.

In practice, it means there will be new local services to help people who are trying to get back into work.

It is anticipated that for every £1 spent on the work, the Exchequer could save £4, as a result of people contributing to the system through taxes, rather than relying on support from the state.

The commission was led by former health secretary Alan Milburn and was critical of a “catastrophic failure” in the benefits, health and employment system, described as a “chaotic mess”.

It found that while seven out of ten people would be happy to take a job they were skilled to do, only one in ten of those out of work had taken steps to find one.

The South Yorkshire scheme promises help to get people back into work, use preventative approaches to help avoid people falling out of work and do more to create job opportunities.

The success of the work will be measured.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “In South Yorkshire, work, health and skills barriers have prevented people where making the most of their talents for far too long. That’s why we’re determined to address those barriers.”