North Wales MS and Chair of the Senedd Cross-Party Group on Disability, Mark Isherwood, has called for a Statement on employment support for Disabled people in Wales to be on a Plenary Agenda as soon as possible.
Speaking in today’s Business Statement, Mr Isherwood raised concern over the rollout of the ‘Connect to Work’ Programme in Wales and asked how Local Authorities will be delivering it.
He said:
“Although the UK Government is planning to cut disability benefits and support more disabled people into work, it closed the ‘Work and Health’ Programme to new referrals a year ago today, which supported Disabled people and people with health conditions to find and sustain employment in Wales. This programme received 24,000 referrals in Wales until 30th September last year, but nothing since.
“The UK Government's successor ‘Connect to Work’ Programme has been devolved to Local Authorities. Although it's supposed to be offered in Wales from January 2026, the experienced external providers have heard nothing and are having to make redundant the staff with the expertise needed. In contrast, Local Authorities in England are contracting on a regional basis. I also understand that the referral numbers given to Local Authorities by the Department for Work and Pensions are not as high as those received by the Work and Health programme.
“Will Local Authorities in Wales instead deliver the Programme themselves, without the expertise to both find and sustain employment, and with the risk that each Local Authority will then be contacting the same employers separately, and how will this be monitored and evaluated? I call for an urgent Oral Statement on the Plenary Agenda accordingly.”
Responding, the Trefnydd said she would raise these issues with the UK Minister for Disabled People, Sir Stephen Timms.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Isherwood said:
“Although I welcome her statement that she will discuss this with the UK Government, I am concerned that she made no reference to Local Authorities, despite the new Programme having been devolved to Local Authorities and the Welsh Government being responsible for Local Government performance in Wales.”