The Help to Work scheme – new intensive support to get the long-term unemployed into work – launches today

A key part of our long-term economic plan is to move to full employment, making sure that everyone who can work is in work. We are seeing record levels of employment in Britain as more and more people move to the security of a job – but we need to look at those who are persistently stuck on benefits for a number of years.

So today we’re proud to be launching the new Help to Work Scheme which is going to provide more help to the long-term unemployed than ever before. Claimants on the scheme will attend a Jobcentre every day for intensive help – and many will also work for their benefits out in the community, gaining vital experience in the process.

This is another important step in turning around the legacy left by Labour where a million and a half people spent the last decade out of work. While Labour abandoned the long-term unemployed we’re helping them, giving new opportunity and new responsibility to people who had previously been written off with no chance.