The UK Government’s Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions pledged support for 135,000 unemployed people on Tuesday during a visit to Caerphilly.
Iain Duncan-Smith said those out of work in Wales will be supported for the next five years by the Government’s work programme.
One of the firms responsible for delivering the programme is Caerphilly-based Working Links, which the former Conservative leader visited during the Government’s visit to Wales.
Mr Duncan-Smith said: “It’s a tragedy that there are children, right now, growing up in households where nobody works, and may never have worked. The welfare system has too often trapped those it was supposed to help into a cycle of dependency and despair.
“Through the introduction of the Universal Credit we’re ensuring work will always pay, giving people real incentive to break free from a life on benefits. But we also realise that these people will need specific support that’s tailored to their needs if they are to successfully find work, and that’s what the Work Programme is all about.
“It is one of the largest payment-by-results employment programmes in the world and we’re giving organisations – like Working Links and Rehab JobFit here in Wales – free reign to use their local knowledge and expertise to determine how best to deliver tailored back to work support.”
Marcella Maxwell, director of Working Links Wales said: “We were pleased to demonstrate to the Secretary of State how we are delivering the Work Programme in Wales to tackle entrenched issues of long term unemployment and economic inactivity – building on the good work we’ve been doing for over 11 years throughout some of Wales’ most deprived communities.
“To date, we have supported over 22,000 people into work in Wales and 200,000 across the UK. Working in tandem with employers and our delivery partners, we have built a powerful infrastructure to help individuals create better futures for themselves, their families and their communities – and have long lasting social and economic impacts for Wales.
“There is much work to do, but we’ve made a strong start and we are delighted the Secretary of State was able to see that first hand.”