New Deal

This is part of the government’s welfare to work strategy. It was created to help unemployed people into work by closing the gap between the skills employers want and the skills people can offer.

It breaks its work down on the basis of three age groups. First are the 18-24 year olds who have been claiming jobseeker’s allowance for six months or more. Then there are those aged 25 and over who have been in receipt of the allowance for 18 months or more out of the last 21. The last age group are people who are 50 and older who have been claiming benefits others than a jobseeker’s allowance.

New Deal also offers help to those who want to work for themselves.

The New Deal for Lone Parents is part of the New Deal and is for anyone looking after one school-aged child on their own and claiming income support. Lone parents aged 18-24 are covered by the New Deal for young people.

Other New Deal target groups are communities (qv); disabled people; those claiming incapacity benefit; those who receive jobseeker’s allowance; 18-24 year olds and New Deal for over 25s. The final group the New Deal is intended to help are partners of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance where a New Deal for Partners has been set up.

The New Deal Innovations Fund is part of the New Deal and aims to provide venture capital by testing ideas and activities which will increase performance outcomes and extend knowledge of what works in helping people to move from welfare to workplace. It is intended that the Employment Service should use this knowledge elsewhere across England, Wales and Scotland to assist other jobseekers.

There is also an Innovation Fund specifically for 18-24 year olds and those aged 25 and over.

Other UK equivalents: The New Deal covers Wales