North Yorkshire’s Labour mayor has said he shares some of the concerns raised about the potential impact on disabled people of Government plans to reform the welfare system.
David Skaith said York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority officials were speaking to the Government about the issue as their own £10m programme to tackle long-term unemployment gets underway.
The mayor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the £10m Inactivity Trailblazer sought to remove barriers facing people out of and in work and amid wider economic challenges.
It comes as the head of one of the organisations delivering services for the programme told LDRS they welcomed the Trailblazer funding but they needed more financial certainty.
Better Connect CEO Natasha Babar-Evans said securing long-term funding was critical for the success of its efforts to shift the dial on social and economic issues locally.
Ms Babar-Evans spoke at an event attended by Mr Skaith to mark the launch of the Inactivity Trailblazer on Tuesday, May 13.
The Government chose York and North Yorkshire for the Inactivity Trailblazer as part of its Get Britain Working plans to tackle long-term unemployment.
Figures show the number of people not working due to long-term sickness in York and North Yorkshire rose by 72.2 per cent above the national average between 2019 and 2024.
The £10m funding aims to help around 1,500 people who are currently seeking work and 500 people who already have jobs to stay in them.
The combined authority is aiming to work with about 150 businesses to adapt workplaces to help people get into and stay in work.
It also aims to address other barriers facing people trying to get into work including age, a lack of skills and long-term unemployment.
Grants for organisations to develop a Work, Health and Skills Interchange to support people and businesses will also be offered.
Better Connect’s Rise2Thrive programme has already helped people back into work locally.
But Government plans to cut £5bn-a-year by 2030, which ministers have proposed as part of wider efforts to reduce long-term unemployment, have faced a backlash.
Disability groups have said that cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in particular will push more people into poverty.
Speaking at a combined authority meeting in March, York-based disability rights activist Flick Williams said employers were not prepared to make adjustments to hire disabled people.
She added the barriers facing disabled people were not solely in the workplace and included access to transport and housing and attempts to starve people back to work would fail.
Mr Skaith said he was listening to those affected by the proposals and he was working to ensure the Trailblazer and wider polices would benefit those who need help.
The mayor said: “The programme’s been a great success so far, I’ve heard from people who’ve been through it who’ve had a really difficult time so it’s been great to support getting them back into work.
“People face so many barriers to work and that can leave them feeling left behind, this aims to give them confidence and to improve their self-esteem.
“We also want to work closely with employers to ensure that people already at companies can stay there, because the other side of this is that people fall out of work because the environment isn’t suitable for them.
“What we’re hearing from employers is that while we have a highly-skilled workforce, those skills aren’t always aligned to the needs of the sectors that are growing here and we’re investing to make sure that more people have the skills that employers are asking for.
“Our population is aging and we have young people leaving the area because they don’t see opportunities here for them, that’s why we were chosen for the trailblazer funding.
“There are huge challenges around people with disabilities and I share some of the concerns that have been raised, we’re speaking to the Government about our options.”
Employment Minister Alison McGovern said York and North Yorkshire was part of the Government’s UK-wide efforts to help everyone reach their full potential.
The Labour minister said: “For too long people have been left on the scrapheap and locked out of work.
“That’s why we are investing £10m in York and North Yorkshire to support people in the area back to health and back to work.”
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