http://www.equipmentdirect.org.uk/index/information/employment/emp_acces...
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport/WorkSchemes...
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport/WorkSchemes...
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport/WorkSchemes...
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport/WorkSchemes...
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Some UK universities are failing to provide accessible accommodation or facilities to disabled students, an investigation has found.
A report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign suggests one in 10 disabled students were not be able to live or eat on university sites.
About 40% of the 78 institutions surveyed did not have rooms for carers, resulting in students living at home.
Universities UK says disabled students benefit from a wide range of support.
The report, by the charity's Trailblazers nationwide network of 16-30 year olds, questioned universities across the UK.
Almost all said they could provide support in lectures or seminars for students with mobility difficulties.
But only four universities said that every one of their buildings had a fully accessible toilet for disabled students.
Some 40% of universities said they did not provide a particular prospectus aimed at students with disabilities
Most, but not all, universities, said they ran a disability equality scheme.
Clearing 'difficulties'
Universities were asked to answer 15 questions on whether they provided certain facilities which disabled students might reasonably require.
Answers were provided by either the student union or a university disability advice unit.
Coventry University in the West Midlands was able to answer "yes" to most questions, and achieved a score of 94%.
Don't be put off by people saying you can't do a course because of disability
Trailblazers
The University of Bedfordshire came out lowest, with 33% of questions answered positively.
Oxford and Cambridge were excluded from the survey. The institutions have 69 colleges between them, and their answers would disproportionately affect the overall results.
The researchers were also critical of the clearing system - where students who do not achieve the grades they need for their degree offers can search for an alternative place.
The clearing system only gives disabled students one month to find a course and research whether it suited their needs, they said.
They also ranked the websites of the top 100 universities in the UK on how much information they provided for students with disabilities.
One in 10 of these did not provide any information searched for, the report found, but 12 out of 100 were given a maximum rating of five.
'Significant improvements'
The report says: "Trailblazers recommend choosing a university based on what you think is the best course for you.
"Don't be put off by people saying you can't do a course because of disability.
"Most subjects can be studied by anyone if you have the qualifications, skills and dedication. Therefore, extensive research into potential courses is key to a happy university experience."
Under the Disability Discrimination Act, which came into force in 2005, universities must make reasonable changes to their premises to make them more accessible to disabled students .
Diana Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK, said: "This report acknowledges the wide range of support offered by universities for disabled students.
"The statistics in the report show that initiatives introduced by universities have led to significant improvements in facilitating access to university and offering support while studying.
"Universities recognise that there is always room for improvement and this is an ongoing process. They are continually monitoring provision in order to improve the support they can offer.
"The recommendations and tips for students in this report are useful."
A spokesperson for the University of Bedfordshire said: "The University welcomes people from diverse backgrounds and we are constantly looking to improve facilities at all of our five campuses.
"This includes a £74m investment to rebuild the main Luton campus, including a new campus centre, and there are several highly-qualified staff dealing with the special needs of the students."
11 September 2009
Starts at: 10:00 - 13:00
London Councils, 59½ Southwark Street , London London SE1
Cost: FREE
This is the first of two half-day seminars being run by the Department of Work and Pensions and Capital Ambition to help local authorities and Local Strategic Partnerships explore the issues, consider ways of improving job outcomes, and share good practice.
In particular they will focus on ways you can:
- Engage ethnic minority community organisations in working up and delivering policy
- Connect with workless people in ethnic minority communities
- Work more closely with Jobcentre Plus
- Use procurement as a tool for increasing the diversity of the workforce
- Make better use of your Working Neighbourhoods Funding
- Promote the benefits of a diverse work place.
There are huge economic and social benefits in working together to improve ethnic minority employment, and these seminars will provide you with a valuable opportunity to meet DWP policy makers, hear from successful practitioners and share experiences.
Who should attend
LSP Co-ordinators. Regeneration officers. economic development officers, equalities officers
This event is invitation only and places are limited.
If you would like to attend this event please register below.
There is no need to attend both seminars.
If you have any enquiries, please contact Caroline Viac - caroline.viac@londoncouncils.gov.uk
Add this to my Outlook Calendar (select open) 
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http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/capitalambition/events/event.htm?pk=77
Young people in England may get financial incentives to take college courses likely to lead to jobs.
Further Education Minister Kevin Brennan told the BBC
details of the plan would be published in a White Paper on skills later this autumn.
Youth unemployment is likely to hit one million this year.
The government is under pressure to make vocational qualifications more relevant to the workplace. The Tories say youngsters are being misled.
Colleges have faced criticism over the high numbers of students on "soft" vocational courses, such as performing arts and hairdressing.
On some courses, the numbers of places far exceeds the jobs available for those who complete them.
Dead-end courses
Mr Brennan admitted too few college leavers were finding jobs, and said he wanted to work with both employers and colleges to gear the system more closely to the labour market.
"What we're looking at in reviewing the skills system for our new strategy paper is to clearly look at where we place resources, and what sort of incentives we can put in place for people, to opt into areas which the economy is going to need in the future," he told BBC Radio 4's Analysis.
The minister was speaking as figures released under the Freedom of Information Act revealed further education college leavers were actually more likely to be unemployed than they were to get a job.
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The survey of the destinations of more than 40,000 16 to 18-year-olds who completed courses in 2007 showed most went on to study for further qualifications - many at the same level as the ones they had already taken.
Nine per cent of the respondents were unemployed, but only eight per cent had found a job after completing their courses.
"We have to make it more relevant, and get up the numbers of people who can actually get into work out of further education," Mr Brennan said.
"I've been meeting with employers to discuss that, and we have been making it easier for employers to get involved with colleges, and actually design the qualifications that people take."
Selling illusions
Further education colleges take on a large proportion of the approximately 250,000 school leavers who fail to achieve the benchmark five good GCSEs each year.
They have been criticised for offering attractive courses which sometimes give students unrealistic hopes of stardom.
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FIND OUT MORE...
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For instance, there are more students on courses in performing arts and media than there are jobs in the entire entertainment industry - including cinema usherettes and lap dancers.
There are around 150,000 students on hair and beauty courses, which is similar to the number of hairdressers in the UK.
And while there are a total of 140,000 on college-based construction courses, there are 330,000 doing performing arts and media.
Mr Brennan said the government was also considering better incentives for employers to take on apprentices.
He admitted he had sometimes had difficulty persuading even government departments to take on young trainees.
"I think there has been a cultural change about employment around the age of 16," he said.
"One of the things I'm trying to do is to get the government itself to take on more young apprentices, and the view sometimes comes forward: 'Isn't 16 a bit young to be working in the Department of Work and Pensions?'
"But you'll often find some of the senior managers started at 16 in the old Department of Social Security.
"We're looking at ways we can make it easier for employers to take on younger workers."
'Cruel trick'
The government has already announced its plans to raise the education leaving age, so that by 2013 all under-18s in England should be in education or training.
David Willetts, the shadow universities and skills secretary, said some of the courses currently on offer had such a poor reputation that students who had completed them were actually less likely to get a job than those without qualifications.
The way forward was for employers to accredit more courses, he said.
"That is a very cruel trick to play on young people," he said, adding that students should also be told which courses would be likely to lead to jobs.
"The scandal is the very limited information that's available to young people about the returns to different courses, their likelihood of getting a job from them, and the shocking erosion of careers advice in our schools.
"We are letting them down by not giving them that information," he said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8284626.stm
An early, and important decision you’ll need to make is what work do you wish to do?
You might want to pick up where you left off. However, particularly if it’s a long time since you were last employed, starting again where you left off might not be an option.
Alternatively, you might want to use your return to work as an opportunity to change direction and enter a new line of work. You can find out more about sources of information and help with looking for work here.
For some people with HIV, it’s not a question of 'returning' to work, but of entering the workplace for the first time.
Whatever situation you’re in, there’s a good chance you’ll need some training to help you prepare, both practically and mentally, for work.
To gain new skills or experience, you might want to think about doing some voluntary work or enrolling on a course of study or training.
Volunteering
Volunteering can provide an opportunity to gain new skills and at the same time gain a familiarity with working conditions. The routine of volunteering can also help simulate the routine of working, and, if you are volunteering in an area similar to the one in which you’d like to work, it can provide an opportunity to discover if this really is something you’d like to do.
Many people find that volunteering helps boost their self-confidence and acts as a useful bridge back to work. It may also be a way for you to get a reference from somewhere you've worked recently.
Volunteering England is a good starting place to find out more about what volunteering might offer you, the sort of commitment you might need to make, and how to go about finding voluntary work in your area. You can also approach your local volunteer centre.
Training and studying
To gain employment in your area of interest, it might be necessary to gain specific skills or a qualification. Colleges and universities around the country have part-time study opportunities for adults, ranging from open access courses with no entry requirements to higher degrees.
As well as equipping you with skills and qualifications, studying can help focus your attention on what job or career you’d like to undertake, and build your confidence.
Jobcentre Plus advisers can help you identify any training needs you might have and to choose the right course for you. There are some work-preparation programmes specially designed for people with health problems and they will be able to tell you about these or you can find out more here. You may be eligible for the New Deal for disabled people (for those getting a benefit to do with their health), the Job Introduction Scheme or Workpath programmes.
Learning and Skills Councils can help you with finding out about local eduation and training opportunities if you think you might need some training to increase your work options. You can find out how to contact your local LSC at http://www.lsc.gov.uk/.
Learndirect provides a wide range of flexible, online training courses that you can do at a learndirect centre or at home – or anywhere you can have Internet access. You can find out more here or by contacting learndirect on 0800 101 901, by email or by letter.
Help with applying for jobs
Local job centres and some HIV organisations can help you develop or enhance your job application and interview skills.
Jobcentre Plus (part of the Department for Work and Pensions) is the key government agency providing advice and help for people looking for work (as well as financial help for those who cannot work). Jobcentre Plus can offer you a lot of help and advice on finding a job, applying for it, going to an interview and starting work, whatever your circumstances.
You can get a lot of information and advice from the Jobcentre Plus website at http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/. You can read and download written advice, including a Job Kit for people looking for work, search for a job online or you can speak to an adviser. You can also get advice about training or retraining for work, and about considering self-employment.
Jobcentre Plus can also provide advice on a lot of issues you might face in thinking about returning to work, such as getting financial help during the process, or managing concerns about housing or childcare. You can start finding more information here.
Jobcentre Plus has specialist personal advisers who work with people with a health condition. They will help you think about whether you are ready to go back to work, whether you will need any training and how best to look for work. If you decide you are not able to work at the moment, Disability Employment Advisers can talk to you about any benefits you may be entitled to. You can find out more about these services here.
The National AIDS Trust (NAT) produces a booklet called Advice for Job Applicants with HIV, which you may find useful. It covers the issue of if, when and how best to disclose your status to a potential employer. You can download it here.
There are services that offer free, independent career planning and information services to people of all ages:
Careers Advice Service 0800 100 900
Careers Scotland 0845 850 2502
Careers Wales (learndirect) 0800 100 900
There is an official graduate careers website called Prospects for university graduates looking for work.
The impact of returning to work or study
If you left work a number of years ago, or have never worked, the prospect of getting a job can be daunting. Your confidence might be low, you might feel left behind or deskilled. Although you may be able to go straight into full-time employment, a more realistic plan might be to undertake some part-time work, either paid or voluntary, or study, and find a working balance that suits you.
The impact that working or studying can have on your benefits can be a real worry. Many people with HIV have reported being in a 'benefits trap'. If you qualify for the maximum rate of benefits, you might actually be financially worse off if you return to work, unless the job is very well paid.
You might also be deterred from thinking about work or study because you are uncertain about how long you’ll remain healthy, or are worried that working might damage your health.
You can find out more about sources of advice and help with thinking about work here.
http://www.aidsmap.com/cms1255084.aspx
If you are already employed, and wondering about what your HIV diagnosis may mean for your work situation, Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers can help you. They will talk to you about your current situation and, if you would like them to, will give you and your employer advice, and explore practical ways to help you keep your job.
These advisers can also tell you about how the Disability Discrimination Act may apply to you, and direct you to local organisations that may be able to help you. You can find out more about the service Disability Employment Advisers offer here.
Disclosure
Unless you’re working in certain healthcare professions, there’s absolutely no requirement for you to tell your employer that you’re HIV-positive. (HV-positive healthcare workers need to inform their occupational health doctor and, if relevant, avoid doing invasive procedures. Any information on HIV status given to occupational health staff must be treated with the same confidentiality procedures as for patients.)
The Health and Safety Executive's guidance, Blood-borne viruses in the workplace, states:
Generally, there is no legal obligation on employees to disclose they have a BBV or to take a medical test for it. If an employee is known to have a BBV, this information is strictly confidential and must not be passed on to anyone else without the employee’s permission.
Nevertheless, you may choose to tell your employer in the hope that this will lead to a more supportive working environment. However, you may prefer to keep information about your health confidential in order to avoid discrimination or having to deal with colleagues' attitudes towards HIV.
If you need time off because of illness or for hospital appointments, think about how you are going to explain this without disclosing your HIV status.
The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) website has information on issues you may need to consider, such as how to tell your employer your status, taking your medication at work and managing illness. It also provides information for employers, as does the National AIDS Trust.
HIV testing
There’s no law to stop an employer asking for an HIV test as part of a company medical for new employees. However, they’ve no right to see the result of the test result without your consent.
The only way an employer can ask an existing employee to take an HIV test is if the initial terms and conditions of a job said that this would be the case.
Employment rights
The Disability Discrimination Act provides important workplace protection to people with HIV from the moment of their HIV diagnosis. These rights are on top of those provided by other legislation.
Basically, it is unlawful for an employer with 15 or more employees to:
- Discriminate against an HIV-positive person in recruitment and selection unless this can be ‘justified’.
- Give an HIV-positive person less favourable treatment (including access to promotion, training and transfers, as well as dismissal and selection for redundancy) unless this can be ‘justified’.
- Fail to make ‘reasonable’ adjustments to the work environment to enable an HIV-positive person to work.
The government is committed to ensuring that people with health conditions have their rights – including employment rights – protected. The Equality and Human Rights Commission provides information on how you can take action if you feel you have been treated unfairly at work because of your HIV status. You can find out more here or contact the EHRC helpline on:
0845 604 6610 (England)
0845 604 8810 (Wales)
0845 604 5510 (Scotland)
You can find out other ways to contact the helpline here.
Can my employer sack me because I'm ill due to HIV?
UK government guidance in the Health and Safety Executive's booklet Blood-borne viruses in the workplace states that:
People with a blood-borne virus should be able to work normally, unless they become ill and are no longer fit enough to do their job. If they do become ill, they should be treated in the same way as anyone else with a long-term illness.
The only way this advice will have changed since the Disability Discrimination Act is that the employer must have considered reasonable adjustments before dismissing you as a result of HIV-related illness.
If you are dismissed because you are unable to do the job, the employer must have sufficient evidence upon which to base that decision. This involves, preferably, both a report from the employee's doctor and an examination by a doctor on behalf of the employer.
If you are physically unable to carry out your contractual job, then the employer should consider the possibility of a move to different duties. The likelihood of there being suitable alternative employment will depend largely on the size of the firm involved. Furthermore, there is no duty for the employer to create alternative employment.
THT’s website has information on discrimination in the workplace and offers advice on what action you can take if you are sacked for illness. The THT employment advice service can also provide individual advice on these issues.
General advice services, such as citizens advice bureaux and community law centres, may also be able to help (although not all CABs have a specialist employment adviser). Seek legal advice if your employer is causing you difficulties in relation to time off for sickness.
http://www.aidsmap.com/cms1255085.aspx
Directgov is a good place to find out sources of advice and help on all sorts of issues and from a wide range of government agencies. It has sections that cover education and learning and employment; the section for disabled people will also provide some useful information on possible sources of support related to employment.
Terrence Higgins Trust provides a national employment and disability discrimination advice service for people with HIV through its helpline, THT Direct. It is available from 10.00am until 6.00pm, Monday to Friday. You can contact it by phone on 0845 1221 200 or by email at info@tht.org.uk.
George House Trust provides advice to people with HIV who are in employment or thinking of returning to employment and who live in the north west of England. You can contact it on 0161 274 4499 or make an online request for information or an appointment.
GMFA’s Positive Gay Guide to HIV and Work covers issues including getting back into work, disclosure and rights.
The TUC’s website workSMART has information for both employees and employers on HIV in the workplace.
The TUC, Terrence Higgins Trust and the National AIDS Trust also provide information for employers.
NAT’s resource pack HIV@ Work is available from the NAT online shop or downloadable at www.areyouhivprejudiced.org. It advises on producing fair recruitment policies and other strategies for challenging stigma and discrimination related to HIV. There is also a resource pack addressing HIV in healthcare work settings.
THT offers advice to employers on its website and provides some additional sources of advice and help.
The TUC provides advice to employers on its workSMART website, including on issues such as what constitutes a good workplace HIV policy and information on the risk of transmission in the workplace.
Working Neighbourhoods Fund
John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding his Department expects to make available to local authorities in England from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.
Rosie Winterton (Minister of State (Yorkshire and the Humber), Department for Communities and Local Government; Doncaster Central, Labour)
The Working Neighbourhoods Fund is paid through Area Based Grant, indicative announcements have been made for the 2008-09 to 2010-11 spending period. £507,800,000 has been allocated for 2009-10, and the indicative settlement for 2010-11 is £507,900,000. We expect to confirm what funding is available for 2010-11 in December, alongside the Local Government Finance Settlement. No decision has been made about Working Neighbourhoods Fund beyond 2010-11.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2009-11-04b.297151.h
Where we live can greatly affect our opportunities in life. For those living in areas of need, quality of life can be severely limited by what has been called 'postcode poverty'. Neighbourhood Renewal aims to improve the quality of life for those living in the most disadvantaged areas by tackling:
- Poor job prospects
- High crime levels
- Educational under-achievement
- Poor health
- Problems with housing and their local environment
Neighbourhood Renewal harnesses the work of all Government Departments, local public services, the community and private and voluntary sectors to tackle deprivation and drive through improvements.
Our national strategy and action plan, A New Commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal, was produced in 2001 with the overarching principle that within 10 to 20 years no-one should be seriously disadvantaged by where they live.
The strategy delivers ways of attacking the root problems of declining areas such as high unemployment, weak economies and poor schools. It uses the power of partnership between sectors forming Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) uniting each district's major players from the public, private, community and voluntary sectors to work together for the benefit of the whole community to drive forward change.
Neighbourhood renewal improves the quality of life and attracts people back into declining areas. There are wider consequences if we continue to neglect deprived areas. They can stifle opportunity elsewhere and drain overall public resources in terms of benefits as well as the additional spending needed on crime prevention, social services, health care and so on.
With this in mind, the Neighbourhood Renewal agenda provides a commitment to creating sustainable communities - thriving, well run, active, inclusive and most importantly safe places to live. Places that people are proud of and where anti-social behaviour and disrespect for people and the local environment is no longer tolerated.
For further information visit www.neighbourhood.gov.uk (external link). Please note this website is no longer being updated and is linked to for purely historical information and publications.
The site provides links to support tools such as Floor Targets Interactive and a range of useful Factsheets and Toolkits.
In this section
http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/neighbourhoodrenewal/
Summary
On 4 November 2008, the Government published a consultation paper seeking views on proposals for revising the third criterion used to determine eligibility for the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) for 2009 to 2011. This consultation closed on the 9 January 2009.
This document sets out the key points raised by the local authorities and individuals who submitted their opinions on the proposals, and the Government's response to those key points.
Order
- This publication is only available online - see below to download.
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- The Working Neighbourhoods Fund 2009-2011: Revising the Third Criterion consultation - Government Response
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alternativeformats@communities.gsi.gov.uk
quoting the title and product code/ISBN of the publication, and your address and telephone number.
Associated consultations/responses
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/wnf200911consulta...
The government confirmed today it would go ahead with Work Choice, the specialist employment scheme for disabled people, ending months of speculation.
The scheme, which was devised by the Labour government, will start on 25 October, as planned, and remain separate from the Work Programme, the planned overarching employment support programme for all other claimants.
Work Choice involves the merger of three existing schemes, including Workstep, which is geared towards helping disabled people overcome barriers to gaining and keeping work.
There had been concerns over the government's intentions for Work Choice with Shaw Trust, one of the preferred providers for the programme, warning that the coalition's delay in confirming the programme's future could adversely affect both users and providers.
In a statement today, minister for disabled people Maria Miller said: "Work Choice has been developed in close consultation with providers, disability groups and disabled people and has widespread support.
"Work has been ongoing since the coalition government took office to ensure continuity of support. We are making this announcement now to ensure that all providers are able to prepare fully to deliver the programme from October.
"We will now proceed to contract with the successful bidders for the Work Choice programme."
Work Choice is designed to provide more support for disabled people furthest from the labour market by tackling Workstep's inflexibilities, such as the expectation that clients will enter work within eight weeks of starting the programme.
It involves a large cut in the number of providers under contract with the DWP from over 200, under the existing programmes, to 28.
Related articles
Shaw Trust: Welfare-to-work uncertainty could hit disabled
Coalition expected to keep disabled back-to-work programme
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/07/27/114992/Disabled-back-...
This Disability Alliance factsheet is a basic introduction to claiming in-work benefits. You can find out more in Disability Alliance's Disability Rights Handbook, available to buy at www.disabilityalliance.org/drh36.htm.
All our publications are available at www.disabilityalliance.org/shop.htm. All our factsheets are available at www.disabilityalliance.org/fact.htm. You can also place an order by contacting Disability Alliance on 020 7247 8776 (this is not an advice line) or by fax on 020 7247 8765.
Duty to inform changes of circumstances
If you are awarded benefits you have a responsibility to inform the DWP, HMRC and your local council Housing Benefit office of any changes in your circumstances that may affect your entitlement. A change of circumstances can be:
- Change to family circumstances eg child being born or leaving education, partner moving in/out, etc
- Change to your hours of working
- Change to your income
Tax credits
You can claim both Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits on the same form, TC600, which has a large booklet of notes accompanying it called Getting your tax credits claim form right (TC600 notes). You must read these notes in order to complete the form correctly.
You can get form TC600 from your local Jobcentre Plus office or HM Revenue and Customs Enquiry Centres. Alternatively you can telephone the Tax Credit Helpline:
Telephone: 0845 300 3900
Textphone: 0845 300 3909
Or if you are in Northern Ireland
Telephone: 0845 603 2000
Textphone: 0845 607 6078
If you meet the qualifying conditions, tax credits can be backdated for a maximum of 3 months although this is set to come down to a maximum of one month in April 2012.
The tax year lasts from 6 April to 5 April. We base our tax credit calculations on your income in either the previous tax year or the current tax year, whichever is lower; because this is what the HM Revenue and Customs will do when you make your claim and in every following April. Therefore, next April you may find that your tax credit award goes down or even stops altogether. This is likely if your earnings in that tax year are compared to previous years during which you have been on out-of-work benefits for long periods. It may also go down the following year and not settle at a regular amount until you have been claiming for up to two years.
When you make a claim for working tax credit, you should receive an initial tax credit award confirmation soon after starting work. When you receive this contact the HMRC to inform them you are working and give them your in-work earnings details. As long as your income in the current year does not rise by more than £10,000 your tax credit award will not be affected. However, this should ensure that you are not paid too much when they work out what to pay you for the following year.
In addition, you must report the following changes within one month of the change or you may pay a penalty:
- If you separate from your partner
- If you start to live with a new partner
- If you stop paying for child care
- If your childcare costs go down by £10 a week
- If you stop being responsible for a child or qualifying young person or the one you are responsible for dies.
- If your work hours change so that you no longer meet a 16 or 30 hours a week qualifying rule
- If you or your partner leaves the UK permanently, loses the right to reside or are away from the UK for at least 8 weeks (12 weeks if you go or remain abroad due to illness, or a member of your family is ill or has died).
It is important for you to note that if your tax credit award in any following tax year goes down, you may then be entitled to some/more housing and council tax benefit. It is therefore important to seek further advice and get a new calculation when the new tax year is approaching. At this time you could contact us or a local advice centre such as a Citizen’s Advice Bureau for more guidance.
Extended payment of housing benefit and council tax benefit
If you take up a job that is expected to last at least 5 weeks, your housing benefit, council tax benefit or other housing cost payments can continue at your existing rate for four weeks. To qualify for this run-on you must, prior to starting work have been receiving one of the following benefits for at least 26 weeks:
- employment and support allowance
- incapacity benefit
- income support
- income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- severe disablement allowance
You do not have to make a separate claim to receive your extended payments; just inform the Jobcentre Plus that you are starting work and they will ensure your payments are made.
Return to work credit
Return to work credit is a payment of £40 per week. You may be paid a return to work credit if you take up a job of at least 16 hours per week after a period of ill health, as long as you have been claiming certain disability benefits for at least 13 weeks. To qualify you must have been receiving one of the following:
- employment and support allowance
- incapacity benefit
- income support (on the basis of incapacity)
- severe disablement allowance
You may be paid a return to work credit for up to 52 weeks. To receive it, your earnings (but not any other income) must be less than £15,000 per year and the employment you take up should be expected to last at least 5 weeks.
Return to work credit is non-taxable and will not be counted as income if you’re claiming housing benefit, council tax benefit or tax credits.
To claim your return to work credit you must apply within 5 weeks of starting work to your local Jobcentre Plus.
In-work credit
In-work credit can be paid to you if you are a lone parent who has moved from certain means-tested benefits to start work of at least 16 hours per week. To be eligible, you must have been receiving income support, jobseeker’s allowance or employment and support allowance for 52 weeks before starting your job.
It is £40 a week (£60 in London) paid for the first year of your new job. If you are in London or a “New Deal Plus” candidate, you may also be able to claim in-work credit if you are a couple with a dependent child rather than a lone parent. In addition in these areas you may be eligible if you have been receiving incapacity benefit, SDA or carer’s allowance.
This credit will be disregarded for tax credits and means-tested benefits. Contact your local Jobcentre Plus to make a claim.
You can only claim one of the credits above: return to work credit or in-work credit. It is therefore important that you speak to your Jobcentre Plus adviser to ensure that you are awarded the payment most beneficial to you. For example, in London, in-work credit pays an extra £20 per week so would be the best choice.
New enterprise allowance
New enterprise allowance (NEA) may be available to you if you have been claiming JSA for at least 6 months and are interested in starting your own business. The scheme will provide access to volunteer business mentors who will help you to develop a business plan and if you are regarded as having a viable business idea, small loans of up to £1,000 to help with any necessary start up costs. You would also get a weekly allowance paid at £65 per week for your first 13 weeks of trading and then £33 per week for a further 13 weeks. The scheme has been piloted in Merseyside and should now be available if you live in any of the following areas:
- Birmingham and Solihull
- Black Country
- Tees Valley and Durham
- Coventry, Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcestershire
- Merseyside
- Northumberland and Tyne and Wear
- South Yorkshire
From 31st May 2011, NEA will also be available in:
- Cumbria and Lancashire
- Devon and Cornwall
- Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland
From 30th June 2011, you will be able to access the scheme if you are in:
- Wales
- Scotland
If you do not live in any of the above areas, you will have to wait until new enterprise allowance is rolled out nationally; planned for 1st August 2011.
Job Grant
You can claim the Job Grant if you take up full-time work (at least 16 hours a week) and you expect the work to last for at least five weeks. You must also have been claiming jobseeker’s allowance or certain other benefits for at least 26 weeks. It is a one-off tax free payment of £100 (or £250 if you have children) and is paid to you to help bridge the gap between coming off benefits and receiving your first wages.
You must tell the Jobcentre Plus that you are starting full-time work within three weeks of starting the job to get the Job Grant. You will then automatically be paid the Job Grant if you qualify.
Access to Work
If you want to work but have a disability that makes working a problem, you may be able to get help from the Access to Work scheme. This provides practical advice to help you overcome work-related obstacles resulting from a disability. It can give you grants towards extra employment costs including equipment and help with travel. The amount of support depends on what is needed because of your disability.
If you feel that the job you are doing/going to be doing is affected by a disability or health condition then you should contact Access to Work. You can do this by contacting your local Jobcentre Plus to talk to an Access to Work adviser or your Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) for advice and an application form. Alternatively, you can contact your relevant Access to Work contact centre directly to request an assessment:
London
Contact this centre if you work in:
- South East England
- London
- East of England
Telephone: 020 8426 3110
Textphone: 020 8426 3133
Email: atwosu.london@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk
Cardiff
Contact this centre if you work in:
- South West England
- Wales
- West Midlands
- East Midlands
Telephone: 02920 423 291
Textphone: 02920 644 886
Email: atwosu.cardiff@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk
Glasgow
Contact this centre if you work in:
- Scotland
- North West England
- North East England
- Yorkshire and Humberside
Telephone: 0141 950 5327
Textphone: 0845 6025850
Email: atwosu.glasgow@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk
Further Information
In some areas of the country there may be additional grants and payments available to you depending on your situation. Please ask your local Jobcentre Plus or employment advisor for more information.
You can get further advice at a local advice centre, such as a Citizens Advice Bureau. You can get more information about this from our factsheet F15, Finding a local advice centre, which is available on our website at www.disabilityalliance.org/f15.htm
You may also be interested in the following factsheets:
- Factsheet F9 - a guide to tax credits
- Factsheet F27 - access to work
- Factsheet F35 - work for people who are sick and disabled
The latest statistics on Access to Work produced by the Department for Work and Pensions were released 26 July 2011 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.
Statistics on Access to Work include data for England, Scotland and Wales for the period up to the end of March 2011. This statistical product contains statistics on the on the number of customer helped in the period and numbers of existing customer who continue to receive support.
The key points from the latest release are:
- Number helped: 35,830 individuals helped in the period April 2010 – March 2011.
- Number continuing to benefit: 16,590 individuals continuing to benefit in the period April 2010 – March 2011.
To access the latest release in full click Access to Work: Official Statistics - July 2011 
Further information on Access to Work is available here.
Earlier published information for Access to Work is available here
Coverage: Great Britain
Next Release Date: October 2011.
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=atw
A new free online service, launched today, will help people to get improved access to jobs and career development opportunities.
Lifelong Learning Accounts will empower adults to take more control over their learning by providing clear information and advice on skills, careers and financial support all in one place.
Account holders will have free access to a number of online tools, including:
* A skills diagnostic tool to identify their interests, strengths and needs
* Localised course and job searches
* A CV builder
* An ‘eligibility checker’ to identify Government funding available to them
* A facility to store all their personal learner information – CVs, skills tests, job and course searches – in one easily accessible place they can share with a careers adviser.
Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, John Hayes said:
"Lifelong Learning Accounts will encourage individuals to learn, and keep on learning. I want the accounts to help build a national community with the desire to seek out knowledge and skills and invest in their own success.
"All young people and adults should have the chance to learn and to excel in their chosen skill, getting into work and progressing in their chosen career."
As well as improving access to careers information and personal data, the accounts will encourage users to link up with other learners to share knowledge and experiences. Account holders will be signposted to relevant learners’ forums and communities via social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
The accounts will also enable training providers to respond better to what learners want and help careers advisers to deliver targeted advice and support based on an individual’s interests.
The Lifelong Learning Accounts offer will continue to develop in 2012 and beyond to provide account holders with the information they want in a way that best suits them.
Notes to editors:
1. For more information on Lifelong Learning Accounts and to sign up for an account, visit direct.gov.uk/lifelonglearningaccount.
2. To watch the FE & Skills Minister John Hayes talk about Lifelong Learning Accounts visit http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/topstories/2011/Oct/lifelong-learning
3. Lifelong Learning Accounts are available to all adults (aged 19 and over) and 18-year-olds or over who are Job Centre Plus claimants or offenders in the community.
4. The Government’s ambition is to sign up 1 million account holders by the end of 2012.
5. Lifelong Learning Accounts will also help existing learners progress including those undertaking apprenticeships. Funding for Apprenticeships in 2010-11 was £1.3bn, and has been increased in 2011-12 to over £1.4bn, sufficient to train 360,000 apprentices. Overall, this Government will deliver at least 250,000 more Apprenticeships over the SR period than the previous Government had planned.
6. BIS is the major sponsor of WorldSkills London 2011 because skills are a key driver of growth. Lifelong Learning Accounts will be a way of ensuring the learners of tomorrow will excel.
7. The new accounts are accessible through the Next Step careers service website and will be available via the new National Careers Service when it launches in April 2012.
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=421453&...
Doing Careers Differently – a guide written by and for people with lived experience of disability or health conditions on how to make a success of your career.
Anyone who is disabled or who has long term health problems may think that a satisfying career is out of their reach. Just getting a paying job, any job, is enough of a challenge.
Doing Careers Differently, the latest publication in the Doing Life Differently series, vividly demonstrates that disability does not mean a career dead end. Inspiring personal stories from disabled models and actors, media professionals, senior managers and entrepreneurs show that it is possible to make work meaningful and at the same time, earn a decent wage.
With sections covering education and training, mentoring, personal development, internships, interviews, networking (including online networking do’s and don’ts) and what to do about disclosing a disability to an employer. With a host of useful websites and information on practical support such as the Access to Work scheme (which provides personalised employment support for disabled people, this comprehensive guide will be enormously helpful. Not only for people who are just starting out but also for those rethinking their career or who want some inspiration and ideas to make the most of their working lives. The guide outlines equality legislation around employment but also explains how to deal with difficult situations and difficult people day to day, without having to resort to the law.
Doing Careers Differently however shows it is not impossible even in a difficult economic climate – and also that, in the long term, a satisfying career is about a lot more than just a big pay cheque.
http://www.radar.org.uk/people-living-with-health-conditions-disability/...
http://www.traintogain.gov.uk/