Pictured above: Colin Birchall

Leading employment experts have welcomed the Government announcement that unemployed people will be given greater incentives and support to get back into work under proposed radical reforms to the welfare system.

Colin Birchall, chief executive of Birmingham-based Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG), along with other Welfare to Work service providers and representatives from third sector organisations attended a meeting (May 27) to hear Iain Duncan Smith present the Coalition Government's view and policy intent on welfare reform.

The Work and Pensions Secretary laid out plans for a "root and branch reform" of Britain's welfare system insisting on the creation of a new welfare to work programme, one which makes benefits more conditional on a willingness to work. He said that at present the rewards for choosing to work were "very minimal" or in some cases "none existent" and that for many families unemployment was a generational issue.

Following the meeting at the offices of The Department for Work and Pensions, Mr Birchall said: "The new Government has some challenging and ambitious ideas on what is needed to make our welfare system fair, robust and fit for the 21st century. PPDG is confident that it can meet those challenges and give individuals who live on the margins of society real hope for a better tomorrow."

PPDG managing director Steve King welcomed measures including Jobseekers Allowance claimants being able to access support immediately and not after 12 months, and new focus on support for budding business owners.

"Whatever shape the new reforms take, we are determined to continue to work alongside jobseekers, local employers, agencies and other support organisations, to have a major impact by providing a first class service to get people working again," he said.

"The Government is keen to encourage responsibility and fairness in the welfare system and we welcome that. It is encouraging to note that Jobseekers Allowance claimants facing the most significant barriers to work will be referred to the new welfare to work programme immediately and will not have to wait 12 months as is currently the case.

"Greater support for would-be entrepreneurs through the proposed Work for Yourself initiative will also give the unemployed access to business mentors and start-up loans as they attempt to fulfil their business dreams. It is clear that finding employment can be a daunting challenge, and sadly it is one that many people find too difficult to overcome. That is why it is more important than ever that people take advantage of the invaluable support that is currently available through the various welfare to work initiatives such as Flexible New Deal."

PPDG has a network of advancement centres across Birmingham - including Harborne, Newtown, Nechells, Handsworth and Sparkhill - and throughout the Midlands. It works in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and other organisations, to deliver Government-funded employment and training initiatives including: Flexible New Deal (FND), Work Focused Training, Lone Parent mentoring and facilitates access to Learndirect provision.

It also delivers the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) initiative, a partnership between Be Birmingham, Jobcentre Plus, Birmingham City Council, and the LSC. One of the key features of the project is the strong outreach element which sees employment-based services taken into the heart of communities. Jobseekers can visit one of the city's many PPDG centres or, alternatively, make an appointment for a team member to come out to them and meet at a convenient venue within the community. 

More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by the company since the projects began. It has trained 130,000 people in vocational skills, and over 175,000 people have benefitted from professional information, advice and guidance services.

Nationally, Iain Duncan Smith has been instrumental in preparing the blueprint for the future of the welfare state and now has responsibility for pushing the government's Welfare Reform Bill - announced in Tuesday's Queen's Speech - through Parliament over the next few months.

The new government is concerned at the rise in the number of inactive people of working age claiming benefits. The proposals will include getting the unemployed to sign up for welfare-to-work training schemes sooner than is currently required. Ministers want the long-term unemployed facing "the most serious barriers to work" to sign up to work and training programmes immediately and for those under 25 to get support within six months.

They also want to speed up the assessment of all those on incapacity benefit - paid to those unable to work due to health problems. All those deemed able to work are likely to be moved onto jobseeker's allowance.