Tens of thousands of sick and disabled people nearer to work with Government support

For years people on sickness benefits with no requirement to look for work were written off and denied support. But this Government’s deployment of 1,000 Pathways to Work Advisers from March last year is finally giving people the help they need.

The target to help 65,000 people over the past year has been exceeded, with each of them receiving free, voluntary and personalised support from a Pathways to Work adviser. It’s designed to help people into good, secure work, and boosting their living standards, as part of this Government’s relentless focus on tackling the cost of living.

Based in every Jobcentre across England, Wales and Scotland, the advisers offer one-to-one support to people with Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) status – those who receive benefits without any requirement to look for work – connecting them to skills training such as IT courses and HGV qualifications to open doors to better-paid employment.

With 2.7 million people on Universal Credit considered LCWRA – a number driven by the Move to UC campaign – 1.5 million with a mental or behaviour disorder and almost 200,000 aged 18 to 24, this tailored support is breaking down barriers to opportunity, rather than writing people off to a life on benefits.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said

We set a target, we hit it – and there’s evidence it makes a real difference.

Thousands of people with mental and physical health conditions, who were previously left without any support are now getting the help they need to achieve their full potential.

This isn’t just about statistics – it’s about people who were written off getting a real chance at secure employment, and that’s exactly what this Government’s welfare agenda is built on.

Previous analysis showed that people who received work coach support were more likely to be in work after a year, and new statistics released today [25th March] show that impact increases more at the two-year mark – proof that this investment makes a real and lasting difference.

Callum lost his job due challenges with his mental health and struggled to find stable work until his Pathways to Work adviser helped him turn his passion for art into a sustainable livelihood. He now runs weekly art workshops, has secured a bursary to exhibit his work at the Broadway Gallery, and is building an art club for home-educated children.

Callum said

My adviser didn’t just help me find work, they helped me find the right work.

Because I’m doing something I love, I’ve been able to keep going and gradually build something real.

I’m more confident than I’ve been in years, and I’ve got an exhibition to look forward to.

The milestone comes ahead of Universal Credit reforms taking effect on 6 April, which will tackle the perverse incentives that have long trapped people on benefits.

These changes will deliver the first sustained above-inflation increase to the standard allowance for almost four million households – worth hundreds of pounds a year – alongside a lower UC health element rate for new claimants, who will all be offered personalised Pathways to Work support to help them access skills and move into good work

As part of the Government’s commitment to breakdown opportunity for disabled people, the support comes as part of wider investment – backed by £3.5 billion in tailored, employment support by the end of this decade.

Pathways to Work adviser, Lape, said

I am enjoying working with this group of people. I feel as though I have been able to encourage and motivate customers to think about work that they can do whilst they are dealing with their health issues and made them aware of the help that is available out there every step of the way.

It has helped to have dedicated extra time to do this. Helping customers gives me job satisfaction especially when I see them progressing through their journey.

Offering Health Support to customers with long-term health and disabilities is a rewarding experience. Especially when witnessing a customer take their next steps in increasing their chances of future employment.

Additional information

• The data shows that two years on, 11.4% of voluntary LCWRA participants who received similar adviser support were in work, compared to 8.1% of those who did not.
• Since April 2025, over 65,000 LCWRA customers have started on this support. This compares to 12,000 LCWRA customers starting on additional Work Coach support between June 2022 and February 2025.
• UC rebalancing comes into force 6th April 2026. The boost to the basic rate is worth around £295 extra this year in cash terms or around £110 above inflation for a single person aged 25 or over, rising to £760 in cash terms by the end of the decade or around £250 above inflation.
• The rebalancing also introduces a lower Universal Credit health element rate of £217.26 per month for new claimants, compared to the higher rate of £429.80.
• There are 2.7 million people claiming Universal Credit who are LCWRA, as of December 2025. 173,276 of them are between 18-24 years old.
• Of all Universal Credit WCA decisions in the period January 2022 to August 2025, at least 61% are recorded as having mental and behavioural disorders, albeit this might not be their primary condition.
• Medical condition figures for those on LCWRA reflect UC claimants who had a UC WCA with a recorded medical condition, and exclude all ESA transition cases, many of whom a decision is made without the need for an interview based WCA.