Helping people from workless households into work

A workless household is defined as a household that includes at least one person of working-age (men aged 16-64 years and women aged 16-59 years) where no one in the household aged 16 or over is in employment.

Currently, there are about three million households, containing 1.7 million children, which still have nobody in employment.

Evidence suggests that many adults in workless households would like to work, but that they face multiple barriers to work, such as: low skills; disability; a lack of affordable and flexible childcare or caring responsibilities; and that they may have been on benefits for a long time."Helping People from Workless Households into Work (HC 609)" examines the effectiveness of the Department for Work and Pensions employment programmes aimed at workless households in England, focusing on two programmes: the New Deal for Lone Parents; and the New Deal for Lone Parents and the New Deal for Partners.

The report finds that these programmes are making a difference for those who take part, but more needs to be done to reach out to workless households and to increase awareness of the support available and help people to prepare for and find work.