November 2021

The National Audit office has published a report about the Government's Kickstart programme. It found that the Department for Work and Pensions was not able to say how much of the economic value of Kickstart jobs is additional.

The Government has responded to the Work and Pensions Committee inquiry into the disability employment gap. BASE gave both written and oral evidence to the committee which published its report in July.

BASE has worked with My Employment Passport to produce a set of 15 A3 posters that showcase the potential of disabled workers. They are a refresh of the original Aspirations for Life poster set that are no longer available.

The Government has announced which projects will receive funding through the UK Community Renewal Fund. The £220 million UK Community Renewal Fund will provide funding to help places across the UK prepare for the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Fund aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches and will invest in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.

In the Long Term Plan (LTP), the NHS has committed to supporting 55,000 people with severe mental illness (SMI) through IPS services by 2023/24.