Written question asked by James Clappison (Conservative) on Tuesday, 6 November 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 8 November 2007. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 November 2007 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Pathways to Work

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of the Pathways to Work programme has been; what the cost for each participant securing (a) employment and (b) sustained employment has been; and what the projected cost of the national roll out of the Pathways to Work programme is.

Answer: To April 2007, we have spent £271 million on our Pathways to Work programme, covering 40. per cent of the country. We estimate that the cost per job in Jobcentre Plus-led Pathways areas is around £2,500. Comparable information on cost per sustained job in Jobcentre Plus-led Pathways areas is not available. We are rolling out Pathways to Work nationally to the remaining 60 per cent. of the country, through the private and voluntary sector, with £531 million available for provider contracts over three years. In total we expect a nationally rolled out Pathways to Work programme to cost around £400 million per year.

Secondary information