How the Restart Scheme will work
Updated 26 April 2022
Applies to England and Wales
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The government’s Plan for Jobs is helping millions of people across the country who have been directly impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19). We know that those who have been out of work for longer periods might need extra help to move back into employment.
First referrals to the Restart Scheme were in July 2021 with an initial focus on those who had been on Universal Credit in the Intensive Worksearch Regime for between 12 and 18 months. From January 2022, the focus was being expanded to provide an increased opportunity for more claimants to benefit from Restart. Universal Credit claimants will be considered for Restart after 9 months and with no upper limit.
To allow more claimants to take advantage of the support available, from late April 2022 the Restart Scheme eligibility criteria will be expanded so that claimants who are in receipt of Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA IB) can be referred. To note, claimants in receipt of New Style Jobseekers Allowance (NS JSA) are not eligible for the Restart Scheme.
The Restart Scheme will break down employment barriers that could be holding claimants back from finding work. Providers will work with employers, local government and other partners to deliver tailored support for individuals.
Referrals will be made over a 3-year period from June 2021 and the Restart Scheme will benefit Universal Credit claimants who are expected to look for and be available for work but have no sustained employed earnings. The Scheme will provide up to 12 months of tailored support for each participant. Early access can be considered on a case by case basis where conversations with a work coach suggest this is the most appropriate route for the individual.
Commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Restart Scheme will be delivered across England and Wales in 12 different Contract Package Areas (CPA). The providers and their delivery partners, including specialist charities and small and medium-sized enterprises, will complement the vital work of Jobcentre Plus with extra expertise, investment, innovation and additional capacity for tailored support.
We conducted a fair and transparent call off exercise to secure the delivery of the Restart Scheme. The programme is being delivered by the following providers across the 12 Contract Package Areas:
| CPA Number | Contract Package Area | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| 1a | West Central | Serco Limited |
| 1b | East Central | Jobs 22 Limited |
| 2a | North East and Humberside | Reed in Partnership Limited |
| 2b | South and West Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | Maximus UK Services Limited |
| 3a | North West | G4S Facilities Management (UK) Limited |
| 3b | Greater Manchester | Ingeus UK Limited |
| 4a | South West | Seetec Pluss Limited |
| 4b | South Central | Fedcap Employment Limited |
| 5a | Central and West London | Ingeus UK Limited |
| 5b | South and East London | Maximus UK Services Limited |
| 5c | Home Counties | Reed in Partnership Limited |
| 6 | Wales | Serco Limited |
Bidders were required to show how they proposed to tailor their offer to local labour market conditions in the Contract Package Area, including their plans for close working with employers, local government and other service providers to identify skills gaps and growth sectors and complement the wider landscape of support.
In recognition of the differing conditions found in each CPA, each CPA had its own unique question assessing providers on the specific context in that CPA. These questions were developed in conjunction with local partners across England and Wales. The provider responses were evaluated by representatives from local partners to ensure local expertise was incorporated into the evaluation.
Through regular contact with all participants, providers will develop a strong understanding of individuals’ employment history, skills, aspirations and support needs to develop the right package of support to help each participant succeed.
For some this might be bespoke training to take advantage of opportunities in a growth sector or to succeed in a major recruitment exercise, for others it might be support to get the right certificates to take up a job in a different industry such as construction or transport or to update skills such as IT.
We want to ensure all participants are given the best support to find employment. The Restart Scheme will be the first DWP employment programme procured with a customer satisfaction measure built in as an integral part of performance management. DWP has designed robust Customer Service Standards with contractual requirements which will ensure:
- regular contact with all participants using a variety of methods and channels
- a personalised offer for all participants, tailored to individual and local need
Alongside these protections to ensure that all participants receive regular, personalised support, the Restart Scheme will use a balanced Payment by Results model. Providers will be incentivised to help as many people as possible into sustained employment: the more people they help, the more outcome payments they will receive.