UK Government publishes new ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper

The UK Government published its ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper on 26^th November 2024 – a ‘plan that tackles the biggest drivers of unemployment and inactivity’ in what it describes as the ‘biggest employment reforms in a generation.’

The White Paper proposes reforms to health, employment and skills systems, amid ‘stark figures [which] show almost one and a half million people are unemployed, over nine million people are inactive, a record 2.8 million people are out of work due to long-term sickness … one in eight young people [are] not in education, employment or training, and nine million adults lack the essential skills they need to get on in work.’

The Government has set itself an 80% employment rate target, which would equate to an additional 2 million people in work.

Beyond getting people into employment, the White Paper also seeks to improve career and skills development ‘for higher paid, higher quality and more productive work and addressing the labour and skills shortages.’

There are three main areas of proposed reforms:

1.Health

Many of the proposed reforms are aimed at tackling inactivity caused by ill-health. The White Paper highlights that the UK is the only G7 country with higher levels of economic inactivity than before the pandemic.

The Government plans to address this by investing in the NHS and the wider health system, through measures such as:

• Deployment of more staff to reduce waiting lists at the 20 NHS trusts in England with the highest levels of economic activity.
• An additional 40,000 elective appointments each week.
• 8,500 new mental health staff and increased access to Individual Placement and Support for severe mental illness.
• An additional £125 million investment for eight ‘trailblazer’ areas across England and Wales to improve local work, health and skills support.

The White Paper also commits to use of preventative measures to stop people becoming ill and economically inactive in the first place, with research showing that once people leave work on long term sickness it is unlikely that they will return. For example, the Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill promises to create the first smoke-free generation and prevent around 80,000 deaths from smoking each year.

2. Young people

The Government is placing a specific focus on young people following a finding that one in eight are not in education, employment or training. Mental health, in particular, has been highlighted as a key issue to be addressed with one in five young people aged 16-24 who are not in ”learning or earning” citing this as a cause. This has been a significant increase in the last ten years.

To tackle this in England, every young person aged 18-21 will have access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities. This has been named the ‘Youth Guarantee’. As part of this, the Government has partnered with large employers including Channel 4, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Premier League to ensure opportunities for young people. There will also be an additional £45 million investment in ‘Youth Guarantee trailblazers’ in eight areas to trial new ways of supporting those young people who are not in education, employment or training.

Changes are also being made to the Apprenticeship Levy with £40 million being invested to allow employers greater flexibility and support. Throughout the development of these programmes, an advisory panel made up of young people will be appointed to ensure that young people are informing decision making. Both of these reforms however will only have an impact in England.

The Government’s vision is a system based on ‘mutual obligation’, such that young people will be expected to take up offers of a job or training, or lose their benefits.

In Scotland, the Scottish Government has developed its own ‘Young Persons Guarantee’ which has been mainstreamed through careers, skills and employability provisions.

3.National Jobs and Careers Service

Backed by £55 million in funding, Jobcentres across Great Britain will be reformed, and in England will be merged with the National Careers Service to create a new single National Jobs and Careers Service.

The new service will cover Great Britain but will be operate flexibly to suit local systems and needs, including reflecting devolution settlements in Scotland and Wales.

The Government claims Jobcentres are currently ‘insufficiently personalised’ and ‘too focused on box ticking around monitoring benefit compliance.’ Its new service aims to be more employment-focused and forward looking, involving goal setting and action planning.

Other proposed reforms in this area include:

• Trialling a digital model based on the latest technology and AI to modernise the service, increase accessibility and inclusivity, and free up staff time for proving support and expertise.
• New coaching academies to develop and upskill the work coach and career advisor professions.
• Engagement with employers to increase the use of Jobcentres in recruitment, with currently only one in six businesses having used a Jobcentre to recruit.
• Introduction of a ‘Claimant Commitment’ in which entitlement to Universal Credit requires engagement in certain work-related activities, such as attending regular work-focused appointments. Sanctions may be imposed where claimants fail to meet these requirements.

Looking forward, an independent review focusing on how employers can better support people with disabilities and keep them in the workplace has been commissioned. Following this, a Green Paper will be published in the spring on proposals to reform the health and disability benefits system. The Government has committed to further consultation on these proposals with a focus on learning from disabled people and representative organisations.

Although many of the proposals set out are related to devolved issues and will only directly affect England and Wales, the Government has committed to working in partnership with devolved governments to ensure ‘as many people as possible benefit from these reforms.’ The Government aims to establish new governance arrangements to aid in these conversations and tackle the employment issues the UK is facing.

Get in touch

As the Government is seeking to acknowledge and address, long-term absence can have a significant impact on an employer’s operations. The Employment Team at Harper Macleod is experienced at helping employers to navigate their responsibilities, including drafting and advising on sickness and capability policies and ensuring employers receive valuable input from occupational health.

If you require any advice in relation to any of the topics discussed above then contact our Employment Team.