Workless in 2009: helping people and communities respond

This conference was organised on the same day that the December labour market statistics were released - the day that Jobseekers Allowance hit 1 million.

Download the presentations from the conference:

John Philpott, Chief Economist, CIPD - What is the scale of the challenge?

Amanda McIntyre, Director, ERSA - What is the scale of the challenge?

Dave Simmonds, Chief Executive, Inclusion - What is the scale of the challenge?

Adam Sharples, Director General, Work, Welfare and Equality Group, DWP

Stephen Houghton, Leader of Barnsley Met. Borough Council - What does the Government need to do?

Lizzie Iron, Head of Welfare, Citizens Advice - A national plan to help the workless

Speakers

Rt. Hon. James Purnell MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Chris Grayling MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Terry Rooney MP, Chair of Work and Pensions Select Committee
Nick Timmins, Public Policy Editor, Financial Times
John Philpott, Chief Economist, CIPD
Amanda McIntyre, Director, ERSA
Adam Sharples, Director General, Welfare, Work and Equality Group, DWP
Richard Johnson, Managing Director, SERCO
Frances O’Grady, Deputy General Secretary, TUC
Tony Hawkhead, Chief Executive, Groundwork UK
Lizzie Iron, Head of Welfare, Citizens Advice
Paul Raynes, Programme Director for Regeneration and Travel, Local Government Association
Steve Houghton, Leader of Barnsley Met Council
Professor Dan Finn, Professor of Social Inclusion, University of Portsmouth
Dave Simmonds, Chief Executive, Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PROGRAMME

The challenges are increasingly sharp for all policy makers, welfare providers and government at all levels. The government’s Pre-Budget Report has set out new measures to help welfare claimants and the Conservatives have also published ‘Keep Britain Working’. But the central questions remain:

What are the best ways of supporting welfare claimants in the current recession?
How do we prevent long-term unemployment and labour market disadvantage increasing?
Are changes needed to welfare to work programmes, especially for the hardest hit areas?

‘Workless in 2009’ will bring together the main voices in labour market policy to debate whether and how we need to do more for those who are being made unemployed and existing long-term claimants.

Is Jobcentre Plus resourced to maintain service levels to larger number of people?
What are the best ways to help the new unemployed back into employment?
Will the Flexible New Deal be ready to deliver for the long-term unemployed?
What should local authorities and local partners be doing, especially in the hardest hit areas?
What can be done to stop disadvantaged people and areas losing out even more?
What impact will there be on the nature and pace of welfare reform?