'Get Britain Working' Minister Visits NI

A NI politician has been putting the case for job creation to an outspoken Westminster Cabinet Minister, the Work and Pensions Minister Chris Grayling.

The man who this week promised The Sun newspaper that he "will break the culture of welfare dependency and get Britain working again" after news that as many as eight out of ten adults now live on benefits in certain areas, was meeting the Ulster Unionist Executive Minister for Employment & Learning, Danny Kennedy.

Mr Grayling was in NI to discuss welfare reform, employment programmes and economic development, following a visit in September by Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

He came to find out more about the programmes and services offered in Northern Ireland and in particular, was keen to gain some first-hand knowledge of how Northern Ireland has developed 'back to work' employment provision.

Speaking after the meeting, Danny Kennedy welcomed the Government 'Core Work Programme' and said: "We have already been moving forward substantially in this direction through the 'Steps to Work Programme' which is open to all clients groups regardless of benefit claimed.

"This is an example of how Northern Ireland can positively contribute to the national debate on welfare reform," he said.

Mr Kennedy explained that the Steps programme is the Department's main adult return to work programme.

It was introduced in September 2008 and subsumed the former New Deal programmes.

Its aim is to assist people who are unemployed or economically inactive to find and sustain employment.

Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants aged 18 to 24 who are unemployed for six months or more and those aged 25 or over and unemployed for 18 months are required to participate in the programme.

Mr Kennedy said: "In essence, it is a 'single programme' which is available to all benefit clients (and non-benefit clients), unlike New Deal or Flexible New Deal in Great Britain.

"Steps to Work has opened up my Department's provision to a much wider client group, in particular the economically inactive (Incapacity Benefit/Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, customers in receipt of other benefits and other inactive customers who are not in receipt of benefits)," he explained.

The Stormont MLA also shared with Mr Grayling the challenges faced by Northern Ireland regarding economic inactivity levels and they also discussed the issues and costs associated with welfare reform.

The Minister added: "A key cornerstone of the Coalition's welfare reform plans is to ensure that work pays and that benefits are not a disincentive to work.

"While we need to approach the issue carefully and ensure that the most vulnerable in our society are not disadvantaged, there is nothing compassionate in being complacent about welfare dependency."

Mr Grayling visited two local projects, Stepping Stones in east Belfast and Springvale Training in west Belfast.

Both of these organisations offer services provided by the Department for Employment and Learning, which are currently impacting on the jobless figures here.

(BMcC/GK)