08 September 2025
Reforming Jobcentres inquiry report published – Jobs and Careers Service to come separately
The House of Commons’ Work and Pensions Committee has published its report into the Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres inquiry. Having taken extensive written and oral evidence, the Committee has produced its report with insights, conclusions and recommendations.
The most important thing, from a career development perspective, is that they have decided not to comment on the Jobs and Careers Service extensively in this report, but to produce a second report focused solely on the formation of that service;
“While we have scrutinised and taken evidence on the planned merger of the National Careers Service and Jobcentre Plus to create a new jobs and careers service, we decided to report on this separately. The integration of the National Careers Service is an important area of reform, separate and distinct to many of the issues discussed in this report, and as such we felt it merited a standalone report and response from the Government.”
It refers to the National Careers Service as ‘an undervalued service’ and is supportive of the Government’s intended focus on the new combined service as employment and careers support, rather than benefits administration.
The report is very critical of the previous Government’s ‘ABC’ approach to employment – Any job, leads to a Better job, which leads to a Career. The report includes a conclusion that;
“The previous Government’s ‘ABC’ approach to employment support (any job, better job, career) has not worked. While it may move people off benefits in the short-term, it all too often does not lead to long-term, sustainable employment and exacerbates the low-pay, no-pay cycle. This is not a good outcome for claimants, employers or the taxpayer. We are pleased to hear that DWP will no longer force people into ‘any job’ available, with support instead to focus on building rewarding careers.”
Among its recommendations, the Committee includes;
Read the full Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres report.
The CDI’s written evidence to the Committee is available under CDI policy briefings.
The most important thing, from a career development perspective, is that they have decided not to comment on the Jobs and Careers Service extensively in this report, but to produce a second report focused solely on the formation of that service;
“While we have scrutinised and taken evidence on the planned merger of the National Careers Service and Jobcentre Plus to create a new jobs and careers service, we decided to report on this separately. The integration of the National Careers Service is an important area of reform, separate and distinct to many of the issues discussed in this report, and as such we felt it merited a standalone report and response from the Government.”
It refers to the National Careers Service as ‘an undervalued service’ and is supportive of the Government’s intended focus on the new combined service as employment and careers support, rather than benefits administration.
The report is very critical of the previous Government’s ‘ABC’ approach to employment – Any job, leads to a Better job, which leads to a Career. The report includes a conclusion that;
“The previous Government’s ‘ABC’ approach to employment support (any job, better job, career) has not worked. While it may move people off benefits in the short-term, it all too often does not lead to long-term, sustainable employment and exacerbates the low-pay, no-pay cycle. This is not a good outcome for claimants, employers or the taxpayer. We are pleased to hear that DWP will no longer force people into ‘any job’ available, with support instead to focus on building rewarding careers.”
Among its recommendations, the Committee includes;
- An employment support guarantee that jobs and careers advice would be available to those who want it, setting out the ‘personalised support and advice’ people can expect from the new Jobs and Careers Service.
- DWP needs to clarify how they will shift the focus from benefits monitoring towards personalised employment support.
- A ‘more limited and sensible’ use of benefits sanctions (the report says DWP’s own evidence shows they don’t work).
- A detailed review of the work coach model and the support they provide to different groups. The report welcomed the Government aim to increase work coach time with clients.
- Return the period for claimants to find work in their preferred sector back to three months and incorporate ‘good work’ into benefits conditions and extend measures to include long-term employment outcomes.
- DWP should include larger-scale outreach work in its pathfinders for the Jobs and Careers Service, not limit itself to Jobcentres.
Read the full Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres report.
The CDI’s written evidence to the Committee is available under CDI policy briefings.
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