Guidance

Chapter 2: Participant identification, eligibility and referral

Updated 1 April 2020

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This guidance is no longer current and is not being updated. Find the latest Work and Health Programme (including JETS) provider guidance.

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-and-health-programme-provider-guidance/chapter-2-participant-identification-eligibility-and-referral

Introduction

1. To be eligible for Work and Health Programme (WHP) all Participants must be resident in England or Wales and be in one of the eligible categories and are expected to be of working age. As stated in Chapter 1, all referrals will be made through Jobcentre Plus.

What is Working Age?

2. Young people in England must continue in education or training until their 18th birthday. Young people do not have to stay in school; they can choose one of the following options post-16:

  • full-time education, such as school, college or home education
  • an apprenticeship
  • part-time education or training if they are employed, self-employed or volunteering full-time (which is defined as 20 hours or more a week). Work and Health Programme is not classed as a training provider in this context

3. In Wales young people can leave school on the last Friday in June, as long as they are 16 by the end of that school year’s summer holidays.

Resident in England and Wales

4. People currently legally living in England or Wales: UK passport holders (or eligible to hold UK passport); foreign passport holders as long as there is an endorsement in their passport allowing them to undertake paid employment – that is there are no employment restrictions/ prohibitions; holders of European Union (EU) passports (subject to any endorsement prohibiting them from working in the UK). The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reserves the right to amend these definitions post Brexit.

Participant eligibility and entry points

5. The majority of eligible Participants are likely to be claiming one of the benefits listed below but a small proportion of Participants may not be in receipt of a working age benefit (see paragraph 16 et seq.):

6. Further information regarding these benefits (for example differences between ESA Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) and ESA Support Group) can be found at the links provided above.

Participants with disabilities

7. Participants with a disability can be referred by DWP to the Contractor on a voluntary basis, at the most appropriate time when the criteria below are met, the Participant:

  • has a disability or disabilities as defined by the Equality Act 2010
  • can be helped, in the opinion of DWP, by participating in the WHP
  • if relevant, has already been helped by Jobcentre Plus with their core jobsearch activity
  • needs more support than can be provided within the standard Jobcentre Plus offer (or through other available services and provision)
  • has committed to the goal of finding employment within 1 year

Please Note

For Participants with a disability, capacity to participate for any minimum number of hours per week/month will not form part of the decision to refer as there are no minimum hours of support/participation in the WHP.

These Participants will be referred on LMS/WSP using the opportunity type WHP Disability Condition and WHP Minister (please see Annex 1).

8. Providers should note that there are Legal requirements for Participants with Autistic Spectrum Conditions; these are detailed at Annex 1.

Early Access disadvantaged groups

9. Early Access to the WHP will also be available to a number of disadvantaged groups (see paragraph 11 below). These are groups who may need additional support to move into employment and supporting these groups is a policy priority for DWP. Allowing early access to WHP will help provide support at the right time for these groups.

10. Referrals for these groups will be at the discretion of DWP acting through the Work Coach, at the most appropriate time on a targeted voluntary basis, when the judgement of the Work Coach is that the Participant would benefit from early access to the programme and the following criteria are met.

11. The following criteria will be used as a guide for the Jobcentre Plus Work Coach. The Participant:

  • can be helped, in the opinion of DWP, by the offer
  • if relevant, has already been helped by Jobcentre Plus with their core jobsearch activity (if appropriate)
  • needs more support than can be provided within the standard Jobcentre Plus offer (or through other available services and provision)
  • has committed to the goal of finding employment within 1 year

12. The Early Access Groups are set out below. If other groups are identified as policy priorities for the DWP then they may be added to the list set out below:

  • an ex-offender (someone who has completed a custodial sentence or a community sentence), or offender (someone who is serving a community sentence)
  • a carer
  • an ex-carer
  • a homeless person
  • a former member of Her Majesty’s (HM) Armed Forces
  • a member of the HM Armed Forces reserves
  • a partner of current or former Armed Forces personnel
  • a person for whom a drug/alcohol dependency (including a history of) presents a significant barrier to employment
  • a care leaver
  • refugee
  • young people in gangs
  • victims of domestic violence

13. These Participants will be referred on LMS/WSP using the opportunity type WHP Early Access and WHP Minister Early Access (please see Annex 1).

Long Term Unemployed (LTU) Participants

14. Participants will be deemed to be LTU when they reach the following point in their benefit claim:

  • JSA Participants at 24 months including linking periods
  • UC Participants who start in the Intensive Work Search Regime (IWSR) and are in the IWSR when they reach 24 months discounting change of circumstances within the 24 month period
  • Participants migrated to Universal Credit Full Service (UCFS) from legacy benefits will be considered when their time on legacy benefits including linking rules and their time in the IWSR totals 24 months

15. Participants who have completed WHP in England or Wales will be excluded. The Work Coach will also consider whether a Participant should be Exempt from WHP or whether participation should be deferred.

16. Whether eligible Participants access the WHP will be determined by a process of random allocation. If a Participant is randomly allocated, they will be referred by the Work Coach to the supplier on a mandatory basis.

17. These Participants will be referred on LMS/WSP using the opportunity type WHP LTU and WHP Minister LTU (please see Annex 1).

Signposting Organisations (SO)

18. In order to make the WHP accessible to all eligible individuals, including those who are not regular customers of Jobcentre Plus, DWP approved Signposting Organisations (SOs) will be able to signpost individuals that they think will benefit from WHP to Jobcentre Plus. However, please note the final decision regarding a referral to WHP will remain with Jobcentre Plus.

Should you require a copy of any of the forms mentioned in this chapter, please email: WHP.ENQUIRIES@DWP.GOV.UK

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