Pathways to Work process
Pathways to Work provides a single gateway to financial, employment and health support for people claiming incapacity benefits.
Jobcentre Plus led Pathways to Work
Jobcentre Plus led Pathways to Work is currently operating in 40 per cent of the country. The process includes:
- A Personal Capability Assessment which is used to determine whether they are entitled to the benefit; and includes a Capabilty Report which focuses on what a customer could do rather than what they can’t. Because of the nature of their illness, some people will be exempt from this assessment and any further mandatory involvement.
- A mandatory work-focused interview eight weeks after making a claim for incapacity benefit (except in cases where this is deferred or waived due to the nature of the illness).
- A screening tool at the initial work-focused interview will establish who will have more work-focused interviews and who will be exempt from further mandatory participation.
- Access to a range of programmes to support the customer in preparing to work, including the Condition Management Programme which aims to help the customer to manage their health condition or disability so that they can get back to work.
- A Return to Work Credit, where customers who enter employment can qualify for a weekly payment of £40 a week for 12 months if their salary is below £15,000 a year.
Provider led Pathways to Work
From April 2008, in the remaining 60 per cent of the country Pathways to Work has been delivered by external contractors. In these areas providers have the flexibility to tailor the range of programmes that are available to customers in order to tailor provision to their needs. Therefore the support available in Provider-led Pathways areas may differ slightly from that delivered in Jobcentre Plus led Pathways to Work areas.